alarming 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈlär-miŋ How to pronounce alarming (audio)
Definition of alarmingnext
as in terrifying
causing fear an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

alarming

2 of 2

verb

variants also alaruming
present participle of alarm
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

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2
as in disturbing
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of alarming
Adjective
These conditions range from blocking streets and sidewalks and road closures, to the production of amplified noise and the use of disruptive or alarming lighting equipment or props. — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Although the number of hate crimes is down so far this year, there is an alarming trend involving religious hate crimes, which seem to be rising. — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
At the same time, the state’s spending keeps growing quickly as well, alarming the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the Legislature on fiscal matters. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026 The 2023 property tax valuation cycle — and to a lesser extent, the 2024 and 2025 cycles — have been the subject of widespread outrage in Jackson County, with skyrocketing property values alarming homeowners and business owners alike. — Ilana Arougheti june 13, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for alarming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alarming
  1. terrifying
  2. frightening
  3. disturbing
  4. scary
  5. startling
  6. worrying
  7. formidable
  8. scaring
Adjective
  • Video captured recently in Botswana shows the terrifying moment a tourist boat had to outpace a charging hippo.
    — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The bandages, cuts and stitches were still fresh from the terrifying attack on Jones Street on Wednesday evening.
    — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
  • This war has been a disaster for them, frightening away foreign investors, tourists and talent and burdening them with a future of huge new defense bills to deter Iran after the United States is gone.
    — Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • Sulfur-rich gases reaching the upper atmosphere could reflect sunlight and temporarily cool the climate, disturbing rainfall and reducing harvests worldwide.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Some people think putting more and more effects is the best way to express ourselves for the audience, and some filmmakers just want to keep the balance without disturbing the original movie.
    — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • No prominent leader has explained what governments will do when the scariest AI capabilities are diffused around the world and become accessible to criminals and terrorists.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights is looking like an even scarier place to have a nice daaaate.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of scary
Verb
  • Last week, an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight-demonstration team, zoomed dangerously low along the Florida coast, stirring up sand and umbrellas, startling some beachgoers—and, it must be said, delighting many others.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • Cortlandt Koerwitz/Instagram A family's Fourth of July outing took a frightening turn when a bear charged at a father outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home after startling his daughters.
    — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of startling
Verb
  • The trick is to avoid second-guessing, worrying, griping or doing other things that waste time, according to Schore.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Unanswered emails can make people feel ignored or disrespected, or jump to worrying or envisioning worst-case scenarios, such as being on the brink of getting laid off or fired.
    — Austin Sarat, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worrying
Adjective
  • Miami entered the game riding a seven-match unbeaten streak in league play and leading MLS with 45 goals, but facing a formidable foe in Nashville.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This one stars Cox himself as a mysterious and formidable old man in an undertaker’s suit and parson’s hat who wanders into an Arizona border town in 1890 to gather the names of dead Mexican laborers.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • Be a menace to people in the community, driving his boat 70 to 80 miles per hour, driving around scaring the heck out of people, taking people's lives.
    — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Notably, the research shows that pumas contribute most to decreased deer-vehicle collisions by scaring their prey, and not killing them, highlights Mark Elbroch, director of the Puma Program for Panthera and also a study co-author.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of scaring

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alarming
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Cite this Entry

“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarming. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of alarming for Spanish Speakers

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