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
The messages often use alarming language and may include links or QR codes that lead to fake websites made to resemble IRS login pages.
—
Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
—David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Its launch of ChatGPT-5 in August was a disaster, as the new model had a flatter, more terse personality, as well as an alarming inability to answer basic questions.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Within just 48 hours, two autonomous couriers from different companies veered off course and collided with shelters shattering glass and alarming nearby residents.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alarming
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Traffic through the strait has fallen by 90% since the start of the Iran war, sending global oil prices skyrocketing and inflicting alarming shortages on the Asian nations that get their oil from Persian Gulf countries via the strait.
—David McHugh, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Its launch of ChatGPT-5 in August was a disaster, as the new model had a flatter, more terse personality, as well as an alarming inability to answer basic questions.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
Within just 48 hours, two autonomous couriers from different companies veered off course and collided with shelters shattering glass and alarming nearby residents.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 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 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
