alarming
gb/əlˈɑɹmɪŋ/ us/əlˈɑɹmɪŋ/
B2
English
~ 9600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
causing strong worry or fear
Making people feel very worried or afraid, usually because something is dangerous or very serious.
Usage pattern:
[something] is alarming / it is alarming that [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "alarming" with "alarmed". Use "alarming" to describe the thing that causes worry (e.g., "an alarming report"), and "alarmed" to describe how someone feels (e.g., "She was alarmed by the report"). Another mistake is using "very alarming" where a simple stronger synonym like "terrifying" or "serious" may sound more natural in emotional contexts, but "very alarming" is still grammatically correct.
Synonyms
worrying (Slightly softer and more general; does not always suggest danger as strongly as "alarming".)
|
disturbing (Adds a sense of emotional upset or discomfort, not only worry about danger.)
|
frightening (Focuses more on fear than on concern about a serious situation.)
Antonyms
reassuring (Makes people feel safe or less worried, the opposite emotional effect of "alarming".)
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comforting (Gives comfort and reduces fear or worry, the reverse of causing alarm.)
Collocations
alarming rate
|alarming increase
|alarming number
|alarming trend
|alarming rise
|alarming news
Themes
emotions
|safety
|society
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The report shows an alarming increase in plastic waste in the oceans.
- It is alarming that so many young people are struggling with debt.
- Doctors have noticed an alarming rise in cases of the disease.
- The fire spread at an alarming rate through the dry forest.
- There were an alarming number of errors in the final document.
Learner examples
- The city has an alarming level of air pollution.
- It is alarming that so many children do not have enough food.
- The water in the river is rising at an alarming rate.
- There was an alarming noise, and then all the lights went out.
- We heard some alarming news about the storm.
Grammar
Dictionary form
alarming
IPA
GB/əlˈɑɹmɪŋ/
US/əlˈɑɹmɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
alarm - ing (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ing)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: alarming
- Comparative: alarminger
- Superlative: alarmingest
Word family
Forms
alarminger
adjective
alarmingest
adjective
Core family
Related words
alarmist
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unalarmed
adjective
Advanced or less common
alarmism
noun
Expressions
at an alarming rate
1/ˈæt ən əlˈɑɹmɪŋ ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
happening worryingly fast or often
Used to say that something is happening very fast or very often in a way that makes people worried or afraid.
Examples
- Prices for basic food are rising at an alarming rate.
- The glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to climate change.
- Hospitals reported that infections were spreading at an alarming rate.
nothing short of alarming
1/nˈʌθɪŋ ʃˈɔɹt əv əlˈɑɹmɪŋ/
fixed phrase
extremely and clearly alarming
Used to strongly say that something is really alarming, not just a little bit worrying.
Examples
- The number of accidents on that road is nothing short of alarming.
- The lack of safety checks in the factory is nothing short of alarming.
to an alarming degree
1/tə ən əlˈɑɹmɪŋ dɪɡɹˈi/
fixed phrase
to a level that worries people
Used to say that something is true or happens to such a high level that it makes people very worried.
Examples
- The river has risen to an alarming degree after the heavy rain.
- Trust in public institutions has fallen to an alarming degree in recent years.