alarming
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Cancer rates are rising among people under 50, an alarming trend that has led some patients to take preventive measures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
The challenge for batters was compounded by some alarming uneven bounce from early in the match.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
But the data surrounding colon-cancer rates is alarming, and getting screened is crucial to preventing colon cancer or catching it at an early stage.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
"Despite these limitations, the findings of this meta-analysis have major public health implications, given the alarming global increase in hypertension prevalence," they wrote.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
At the start of another winter, however, a woman who was washing clothes in the river during the hottest time of the day ran screaming down the main street in an alarming state of commotion.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
