worrying

1 of 2

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ 

ˈwə-rē-

: 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

worryingly adverb

When the secretary returned, she handed us an envelope that looked worryingly official …

—Caroline Alexander

… money held by households has risen at a worryingly slow rate over the past year …

—The Economist

worrying

2 of 2

present participle of worry entry 1

Examples of worrying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This would simultaneously help Washington address its worrying shortages of critical munitions and provide a boost to Tokyo’s promising defense industrial base. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

To meet four times in just over half a year is a good sign; refusal to meet would be much more worrying. — Rana Mitter, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026

The speech also touched on the future of artificial intelligence, several worrying drone incidents on EU territory, conflict across the Middle East and international trade tensions. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

Execution failed United again, but so did their inability to master different solutions against a deep defence, which has been a worrying trend under Carrick. — Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for worrying

• currying
• hurrying
• scurrying