alarming

1 of 2

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

ə-ˈlär-miŋ-lē

adverb

an alarmingly high rate of infection

alarming

2 of 2

present participle of alarm entry 2

Synonyms of alarming

Adjective

• terrifying
• frightening
• scary
• formidable
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating
• shocking

Examples of alarming in a Sentence

Adjective

an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Almost as alarming as the incidents themselves has been the government’s refusal to acknowledge a pattern of abuse that is clearly metastasizing at the Department of Homeland Security. — Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

Nancy Slonim Aronie, a writer and artist friend on the Vineyard, had a more alarming experience after she was rushed to a hospital in Boston in January for open heart surgery. — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Trump’s laudatory comments come as bipartisan angst over the technology crests, alarming AI incidents proliferate, and global governments call for policy cooperation. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Frequently, news outlets stop following the story soon after the initial alarming report, says Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Global Center for Journalism and Trauma. — Cindy Carcamo, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of alarm entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

1658, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alarming

• disarming
• arming
• charming
• farming
• harming