alarm
noun
a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.
was alarming
-
past progressiveof alarm.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
New Zealand, by far the Cook Islands' closest diplomatic partner, said it was "alarming and infuriating" to see sanctions efforts undermined.
From Barron's ● Dec. 2, 2025
“It was alarming, but I think our community needed to see that and realize that we need to start looking inward.”
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
He said the economy was "stable", pointing to higher growth than countries like Germany, but admitted inflation of 9.1% was "alarming".
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2024
A May 1985 report in the journal Nature was alarming.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
It was hard to tell exactly what was going on in Berlin, but the announcement of the split times was alarming.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
