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

That’s a worrying sign considering Nvidia also removed the more powerful RTX 5090 from its online store earlier this month. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 30 Oct. 2026

The violence taking place across Albania is a worrying sign for a country struggling to maintain its democracy and continue the path to EU accession. — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Media outlets, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, turned out articles that suggested a worrying picture of the corridor and restaurants that seemed to be closing left and right. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026

There’s a worrying overlap with the impulse to self-harm, which is on the rise among adolescents and taking new forms. — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for worrying

• currying
• hurrying
• scurrying