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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Still, the specter of AI agents operating freely on the internet raises alarming possibilities, regardless of their objectives. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 But the decree leaves many more basic mechanics to be worked out at a later date in a way that’s quietly alarming. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
Found in many foods For consumers, of course, the latest food safety concerns can be alarming given that lettuce and jalapeño peppers are used in many of the roughly 1 billion meals Americans consume daily. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 In Orange County, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County maintains infectious-disease surveillance and disease-reporting services for residents and visitors, which is exactly how local systems stay ready without alarming the public. — Luis E. Caso Vega, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 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
  • Although the encounter itself was terrifying, revelations about Shrine’s past have compounded her fears.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The movie blows up, and so are do lives—in exciting, but also terrifying, ways.
    — Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 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
  • There’s a story there, a complicated and disturbing one, but the new Netflix film Unabomber won’t be the one to give it to us.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Combs has both utilized and weaponized his fortune, industry status, and reputation to hide a volatile temper and disturbing behavior for decades.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Taking on something this scary freed up a lot of emotional bandwidth.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The annual attraction that celebrates the scariest holiday has new digs — Tropical Park in West Miami-Dade.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of scary
Verb
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The unpredictable motion scares them off, startling them and throwing them off balance.
    — Molly Burford, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of startling
Verb
  • Read more here from CNBC's Sean Conlon on what's worrying traders even as the market surges.
    — Sean Conlon,Jenni Reid,Justina Lee,Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In her interview with LaFrance, Swisher also discussed the economic implications of the AI race, who is likely to win, and how Americans can respond to this dizzying and worrying AI moment.
    — Victoria Feng, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of worrying
Adjective
  • DeFoe has very limited experience fishing at Lake Hamilton, but his partner Gill is one of the most formidable specialists with forward-facing sonar.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Both EVs share a formidable powertrain specced for serious performance, and feature futuristic styling that wouldn't be out of place in a cyberpunk future.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • Although the pace of home sales have remained largely unchanged this year compared to last year, according to NAR data through August, there are some signs that higher mortgage rates have started scaring off some buyers.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn't Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of scaring

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Cite this Entry

“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alarming. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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