as in terrifying
causing fear
an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also alaruming
1
as in frightening
to strike with fear
I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of alarming
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 June 2025
The public-health approach begins with data, and, this year, several new reports have provided a set of especially alarming data points.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Some parents even shared alarming personal experiences on Reddit.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 June 2025
State officials said in December 2024 that more than 120 wrong-way detection systems had been installed that year on high-risk highway ramps across the state in an effort to curb the alarming rise in fatal crashes over the past five years.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Adjective
Most alarming are the alphas, who are stronger and smarter and much harder to stop.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 18 June 2025
The public-health approach begins with data, and, this year, several new reports have provided a set of especially alarming data points.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Some parents even shared alarming personal experiences on Reddit.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 June 2025
State officials said in December 2024 that more than 120 wrong-way detection systems had been installed that year on high-risk highway ramps across the state in an effort to curb the alarming rise in fatal crashes over the past five years.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarming
Adjective
-
The terrifying moment that passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
1 July 2025
-
When the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the idyllic Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The fumes are certainly easier to ignore or deny than the visceral, immediate violence of serial murder—which is much rarer, and yet, for many, much more frightening.—
Sarah Weinman,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2025
-
Which isn’t to say that the film isn’t frightening.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
The blend of physical locations with sets and digital imagery is seamless and the CG work on the creatures is first-rate, notably so in the scary climactic stretch when the lumbering D. Rex joins the fray.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2025
-
This was in the days when only lunatics or scary white punks had shaved heads.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
But Martone is one of the very best prospects in this draft and gives the Flyers size, high-end skill (he’s got plus traits as a shooter, handler and playmaker), and a formidable one-two punch at right wing with Matvei Michkov.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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The actress portrayed formidable sensei Kim Da-Eun on the Netflix series that ended in February after six seasons.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
-
If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who has hinted at ambitions for a governor bid in 2026, according to the New York Post, will need to walk a fine line between appeasing his party and not upsetting potential voters in his home state, which could put him at odds with Republicans.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
-
These weeds require control to prevent upsetting the entire turf ecosystem.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Even the ones that aren’t strictly evil in the biblical sense are often prone to doing terrible things.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarming. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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