worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
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 While the rainy season has brought relief in recent months further south in Brazil’s Amazon, the fires in Venezuela could be a worrying sign for what’s ahead once the dry season arrives there, said Manoela Machado, a fire researcher at University of Oxford. CNN, 2 Apr. 2024 Inside the effort to restore a scarred watershed. ‘Humbling, and a bit worrying’: Scientists fail to fully explain record global heat. Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024 Such reports, and interviews with aviation safety experts and more than two dozen current and former Boeing employees, paint a worrying picture about a company long considered to be at the pinnacle of American engineering. Santul Nerkar, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024 Significantly less worrying about how much time is spent on styling—and this no-fuss bob agrees. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024 The most worrying thing at the moment is that literally any scenario is possible. Christian Edwards, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024 The new wave of violence has brought with it some worrying development, O’Neill said. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024 The bill would take away the council’s ability to make changes to minimum sentencing laws, deeply worrying Mendelson. Emily Davies, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Even more worrying for Arsenal and Arteta, Man City looks in prime shape heading into the second half of the season, with a 5-0 win over second-tier Huddersfield in the FA Cup notable for the return from injury of De Bruyne after nearly five months out. Steve Douglas, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'worrying.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worrying was in 1817

Dictionary Entries Near worrying

Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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