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Synonyms

alarming

American  
[uh-lahr-ming] / əˈlɑr mɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing alarm or fear.

    an alarming case of pneumonia; an alarming lack of respect.

Other Word Forms

  • alarmingly adverb
  • unalarming adjective
  • unalarmingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of alarming

First recorded in 1670–80; alarm + -ing 2

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.

“I don’t think you can overstate how alarming this policy is,” Rust said.

From MarketWatch

“There goes the house” is an alarming and revealing statement, and one that could come back to haunt him.

From MarketWatch

They issued a public safety warning, describing the number of recent incidents as highly unusual and alarming.

From BBC

“He’s winning at an alarming rate,” Hall of Fame defensive end Jared Allen says.

From The Wall Street Journal

These images are a bulwark against change at a time when things seem to be changing at an alarming rate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.