worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ 

ˈwə-rē-

: 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

If anything, the Meta ruling confirms a worrying truth: that the law’s current conception of fair use isn’t built for AI—it’s being bent around it. —Aron Solomon june 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025

The advent of school can be a worrying time for both children and parents alike. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025

In May 2024, after experiencing worrying symptoms, she was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism on her left lung, an incredibly dangerous, life-threatening blood clot. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 18 June 2025

Brock Boeser Arguably one of the most worrying free agents on the market. —Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for worrying

• currying
• hurrying
• scurrying