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
The messages grew increasingly alarming before the Learjet 60, which was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas, ultimately crashed and erupted in a fireball. — CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026 The pilot requested permission to climb another 2,000 feet and then quickly declared an emergency as the jet lost altitude at an alarming rate. — David Fischer, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
But the Treasury market’s rapid deterioration is now alarming those who previously downplayed the risks. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026 But even for an opener, Nix’s sloppiness was un-Bo-lievable, his carelessness with the ball alarming, given the stage. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 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
  • The blistering one-way run is strangely terrifying from the near silent cockpit as the highway lamps flash past.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 Nov. 2026
  • In Lima, and especially in the regions, terrifying scenes unfolded outside hospitals, with sick people collapsing in the street due to the shortage of oxygen, one of the key tools for treating the virus.
    — Claudia Rebaza, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • For Cox and Walker, the challenge was to introduce horror-film conventions without frightening the franchise’s youngest viewers.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • The end result has given rise to an insidious and often disturbing form of violence that wins victims’ trust before preying upon them or coercing them into hurting others – for money, for social media clout or sometimes for no reason at all.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The new developments have been singled out for loud noise, polluting power generation, and for disturbing residential neighborhoods and natural landscapes.
    — Shannon Osaka, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Detroit has a top-10 rushing defense, although that defense will be without middle linebacker Jack Campbell after a scary neck injury last week.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Thursday’s stock sell-off looked scary — but some Wall Street analysts believe the dramatic decline might be just what the stock market needed after a monthslong run-up sent shares to dizzying heights.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of scary
Verb
  • One of my co-workers tends to blast through this door at top speed, often startling a person reaching for the handle on the other side.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of startling
Verb
  • In Fort Worth and other Texas cities, zoning and development regulations exist to safeguard people’s right to enjoy their properties without worrying about someone else encroaching upon them too much.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The news sent markets rocking wildly, with investors worrying he could be forced to step down — a move that could trigger even more volatility.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of worrying
Adjective
  • Their pass defense is specifically interesting, allowing over 227 passing yards per game, even while boasting one of the most talented and formidable defensive backfields in the game.
    — Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The formidable organization of Seminole County Democrats (aka the SemDems) was clearly a factor there.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of formidable
Verb
  • His campaign strategy in the days before the election seemed to rely on scaring the Israeli public into voting for him.
    — Ruth Margalit, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The white whale of American politics seemed in reach until the president spent two years scaring it away.
    — Gabe Fleisher, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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