alarm
noun
a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.
had been alarming
-
past perfect progressiveof alarm.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
In Charn she had been alarming enough in London, she was terrifying.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
However, his opening remark told me that I had been alarming myself unduly.
From Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
Thence we proceeded on horseback as far as Speyer; we saw no sign of soldiers anywhere, although there had been alarming rumours.
From Erasmus and the Age of Reformation by Johan Huizinga
Without any exchange of speech at all he knew there had been alarming noises.
From Active Service by Stephen Crane
Dickens in 1868 had been alarming his friends and exhausting himself by his public Readings.
From The Problem of 'Edwin Drood' A Study in the Methods of Dickens by W. Robertson Nicoll
