alarm
noun
a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.
were 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.
A task group was set up to look into the issue and the group's chair, Fiona Wilson, said some of the responses to the survey were "alarming".
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2025
The messages were alarming, but were they an imminent threat?
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025
But the numbers he was seeing were alarming.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 23, 2024
For John Marcella, the failures of SVB and Signature were alarming in other ways.
From Washington Post ● May 2, 2023
The events in Jamestown were alarming to the planter elite, who were deeply fearful of the multiracial alliance of bond workers and slaves.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
