alarming
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of alarming
Explanation
Something that's alarming is disturbing or upsetting. It can be alarming when you hear a sudden, loud crash of thunder. The idea of climate change is very alarming to many people, and the sound of a police car's siren is alarming when you're driving. Things that are alarming grab your attention, and either frighten you or at least unsettle you. The adjective alarming comes from alarm, via the Old French alarme, which is rooted in the Italian interjection all'arme, a rally or warning cry, "to arms!"
Vocabulary lists containing alarming
The Magician's Nephew
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Uh-Oh: Synonyms for "Dangerous"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We are losing our bees at an alarming rate.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
China’s recent progress in the AI race is alarming top executives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
"Recent reports indicate that the number of Batswana being misled into such arrangements is rising at an alarming rate," the international relations ministry said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
"The problem is serious, very serious," Dyke said about an "alarming" lack of homegrown talent.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
I cut out all distractions from my life so I could focus only on fencing, and yet alarming current events continued to dominate the headlines, making it very hard to stay focused.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
