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
While the Heat captain continues to provide solid defense and rebounding (14 on Sunday), his offensive regression has reached alarming levels.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
The June research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the vaccination rate for measles, mumps and rubella has fallen from 94% in 2019 to 91% in 2024, an alarming drop; the level needed to protect society from outbreaks is 95%.
—Mary Ellen Klas, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Really pretty alarming images coming out of Iran this morning.
—ABC News, 11 Jan. 2026
But doctors spotted something even more alarming.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Alarming.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alarming. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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