: causing worry : creating reason for worry : troubling
a worrying trend/development
a worrying question
The presence of the knife on the stage of the murder was a worrying circumstance for Wilson.—
Mark Twain
Mark Twain
worryingly
adverb
When the secretary returned, she handed us an envelope that looked worryingly official …
—Caroline Alexander
Caroline Alexander
… money held by households has risen at a worryingly slow rate over the past year …
—The Economist
The Economist
Examples of worrying in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fiery press conferences, frustration over a lack of signings, and a glum touchline demeanour paint a worrying picture.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
But beta blockers only address the physical response to anxiety — not the ruminating or worrying.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Guy is their newest inductee, a 20something with an iffy American accent (Denton is Australian), a worrying clonazepam dependency, a fancy NYU law degree and — of most interest to the Talamasca — a rare ability to read minds.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
In another potentially worrying sign for the president, younger Hispanics and Hispanic men — two groups that swung particularly dramatically toward him in last year’s election — also see him a bit more negatively.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worrying
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Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
But beta blockers only address the physical response to anxiety — not the ruminating or worrying.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Guy is their newest inductee, a 20something with an iffy American accent (Denton is Australian), a worrying clonazepam dependency, a fancy NYU law degree and — of most interest to the Talamasca — a rare ability to read minds.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
In another potentially worrying sign for the president, younger Hispanics and Hispanic men — two groups that swung particularly dramatically toward him in last year’s election — also see him a bit more negatively.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for worrying
Cite this Entry
“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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