Synonyms

alarming

American

[uh-lahr-ming] / əˈlɑr mɪŋ /

adjective

causing alarm or fear.

an alarming case of pneumonia; an alarming lack of respect.

Other Word Forms

alarmingly adverb
unalarming adjective
unalarmingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of alarming

First recorded in 1670–80; alarm + -ing ²

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.

At first glance, finding worms in fish may seem alarming.

From Science Daily

He is irreplaceable, the drop-off after him alarming.

From BBC

An alarming nugget buried in the Treasury Department’s annual report External link on the federal government’s books from the last fiscal year: Its long-term liabilities exceed its expected revenue by tens of trillions of dollars.

From Barron's

She gave a rattling cough, which Clare found alarming, since he hadn’t known birds capable of coughing.

From Literature

This is alarming, considering that a 2023 survey from Gallup found teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 spend an average of 4.8 hours on social media daily.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023