concerning

1 of 2

preposition

con·​cern·​ing kən-ˈsər-niŋ 

: relating to : regarding

concerning

2 of 2

adjective

: causing concern or worry : creating reason for concern : troubling

found the latest reports very concerning

"It's extremely concerning that drivers still choose to give their attention to things other than the road when they're behind the wheel," said [Texas Department of Transportation] Executive Director James Bass.

—The Nueces County Record Star

… carbapenems should not be administered to patients with positive penicillin skin test results or a concerning history of a type I allergic response to penicillin.

—Alan R. Salkind et al.

concerningly adverb

Of course, South Carolina roads are also concerningly dangerous for sober drivers. In 2015, the state ranked 7th for traffic deaths overall …

—The Post & Courier [Charleston, South Carolina]

"The waivers have driven destruction in Native American burial sites. They have killed thousands of species and fragmented habitat. Most concerningly, there is zero accountability or consequence for these outcomes."

—Gloria Smith

Synonyms

Preposition

• about
• apropos
• apropos of
• as far as
• as for
• as regards
• as respects
• as to
• of
• on
• regarding
• respecting
• touching
• toward
• towards

Examples of concerning in a Sentence

Preposition

we had a meeting with the principal today concerning the new policy on student-run organizations

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Wallach, who has worked at tech and consulting companies and was at TikTok for over two years, says that the data collection practices of Meta, Google, and Amazon are far more concerning. —Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024

Lopez said investigators still don’t know whether anyone other than the security guard was wounded by the time police arrived, which would have been more concerning to the officers on the scene, but it can’t be ruled out. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024

But these more concerning moments came and went without wall-to-wall coverage on cable news and social media. —Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2024

And there’s a much more concerning subset of the integrity problem, one that feels more permanent and specific to the style and ubiquity of online gambling. —Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024

These results are more concerning when one looks at the answers from Gen Z Hispanic respondents, as only 41% believe Hispanic values are reflected by brands, down from 59% in 2018, a 19 percentage points decline in only five years. —Isaac Mizrahi, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Recently, there has been a concerning increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer among individuals below the age of 50 over the last few decades. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 22 Mar. 2024

However, perhaps the most concerning aspect is that the eclipsed sun will occur high in the sky behind the plane, allowing only those on the right-hand side of the plane to have any chance of straining to see the eclipsed sun. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

Recent data from the CDC paints a concerning picture: While overall HIV infections among Black women have remained stable, the disparity in new HIV infections persists and, in some cases, worsens. —Larada Lee, Essence, 9 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Preposition

1535, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1740, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

concerning

preposition

con·​cern·​ing

kən-ˈsər-niŋ

: relating to : about

news concerning friends