worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
ˈwə-rē-
Synonyms of worryingnext
: causing worry : creating reason for worry : troubling
a worrying trend/development
a worrying question
The presence of the knife on the stage of the murder was a worrying circumstance for Wilson.Mark Twain
worryingly adverb
When the secretary returned, she handed us an envelope that looked worryingly official … Caroline Alexander
… money held by households has risen at a worryingly slow rate over the past year … The Economist

Examples of worrying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The worrying thing for England right now is that, just as Tuchel said, none of their attacking players apart from Kane are in sparkling form. Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2026 What makes the incident particularly worrying is that Barksdale is home to the 2nd and 307th Bomb Wings, each with dozens of nuclear-capable B-52H bombers. Brynn Tannehill, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026 The results paint a worrying picture of the security implications of having AI agents run wild, well outside the confines of a browser window. Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 26 Mar. 2026 Cost of living is rising, hiring has slowed to a worrying pace, and layoffs are on the rise. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worrying

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worrying was in 1817

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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