alarming
adjective
alarm·ing
ə-ˈlär-miŋ 
: causing people to feel danger or alarm or to be worried or frightened
alarming news
The statistics revealed an alarming increase in childhood obesity.
alarmingly
adverb
ə-ˈlär-miŋ-lē
an alarmingly high rate of infection
Examples of alarming in a Sentence
an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst
Recent Examples on the Web
Police released alarming photos of suspects brandishing weapons after a woman in her 30s was fatally shot inside a White Settlement home on Friday afternoon.
—
Doug Myers, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega, as curators with an alarming secret to keep from her, can barely keep up.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
What’s truly alarming isn’t that people disagree on these cases.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
From January 2025, his usage accelerated to an alarming level.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarming
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Doug Myers, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2026
Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega, as curators with an alarming secret to keep from her, can barely keep up.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
What’s truly alarming isn’t that people disagree on these cases.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
From January 2025, his usage accelerated to an alarming level.
—Tom Burrows, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Cite this Entry
“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alarming. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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