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.
The messages were alarming, but were they an imminent threat?
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2025
On too many occasions, England's defence was split apart by a single pass, while the gaps across the pitch were alarming and individual errors piled up.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024
For John Marcella, the failures of SVB and Signature were alarming in other ways.
From Washington Post ● May 2, 2023
Shem Unger, a conservation geneticist at Wingate University in North Carolina, said that the findings were alarming.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 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
