worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
ˈwə-rē-
Synonyms of worryingnext
: causing worry : creating reason for worry : troubling
a worrying trend/development
a worrying question
The presence of the knife on the stage of the murder was a worrying circumstance for Wilson.Mark Twain
worryingly adverb
When the secretary returned, she handed us an envelope that looked worryingly official … Caroline Alexander
… money held by households has risen at a worryingly slow rate over the past year … The Economist

Examples of worrying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a recent LogicMark survey, men were more likely to describe caregiving as rewarding, while women were more likely to describe it as overwhelming and worrying. Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 7 June 2026 That marks a significantly worrying start for MGM and Mattel, who hoped for something close to a Barbie repeat at the box office, investing anywhere from $170 million to $200 million in Masters, according to estimates. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026 The underlying numbers were even more worrying. Liam Twomey, New York Times, 3 June 2026 While giving users information on how to conduct harmful activities could be concerning, the more worrying part is how the chatbots can egg users on, said Samuel Hunter, senior scientist and director of academic research at NCITE. Huo Jingnan, NPR, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for worrying

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worrying was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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