worrying

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
ˈwə-rē-
: 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
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.
More worrying than the arsenal itself, however, is Russia’s potential willingness to use it, including as a means of coercion and blackmail. Florence Gaub, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025 In fact, there are some worrying reasons to take the slim possibility of a devastating Russian response a little more seriously this time around. Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 4 June 2025 To hear Mayor Brandon Johnson’s finance team, this worrying situation was something that just happened to them — the equivalent of an act of God over which the city had no control and little time to respond. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025 But even more worrying is that 22% of the samples weren’t shark or ray at all. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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