Alarming — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ə-ˈlär-miŋ/ alarm·ing

Meaning & Definition of Alarming

Alarming (adjective)

  1. causing people to feel danger or alarm or to be worried or frightened

Alarming (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing fear

    "an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst"

    similar: dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
    related: daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish
    near: calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening

Alarming (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to strike with fear

    "I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch"

    similar: affrighting, frightening, frighting, horrifying, panicking, scarifying, scaring, shocking, spooking, startling, terrifying, terrorizing, giving one the creeps, making one's flesh creep
    related: appalling, bowling over, dismaying, flooring, jolting, shaking, shaking up, amazing, astounding, awing, chilling, daunting, demoralizing, dispiriting, emasculating, psyching (out), undoing, unmanning, unnerving, unstringing, discomforting, discomposing, disconcerting, disquieting, distracting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, unsettling, upsetting, worrying
    opposite: reassuring
    near: assuring, cheering, comforting, consoling, solacing, soothing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, inspiring, steeling

  2. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel"

    similar: agitating, ailing, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distempering, distracting, distressing, disturbing, exercising, flurrying, frazzling, freaking (out), fussing, hagriding, perturbing, undoing, unhinging, unsettling, upsetting, weirding out, worrying
    related: aggravating, angering, annoying, bugging, chafing, chivying, exasperating, fretting, galling, getting, grating, harassing, harrying, irking, irritating, nettling, peeving, pestering, piquing, putting off, putting out, riling, vexing, bedeviling, haunting, plaguing, abashing, confounding, confusing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discountenancing, embarrassing, fazing, flustering, jarring, mortifying, nonplussing, rattling, shaking up, daunting, demoralizing, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, unnerving
    opposite: calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing, tranquilizing
    near: allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, pacifying, placating, propitiating

Related Entry: Alarm (verb)

Alarm is a different word from Alarming. The synonyms below are for alarm, not for alarming.

  1. to strike with fear

    "I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch"

    similar: affright, fright, frighten, horrify, panic, scare, scarify, shock, spook, startle, terrify, terrorize, give one the creeps, make one's flesh creep
    related: appall, bowl over, dismay, floor, jolt, shake, shake up, amaze, astound, awe, chill, daunt, demoralize, dispirit, emasculate, psych (out), undo, unman, unnerve, unstring, discomfort, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distract, distress, disturb, perturb, unsettle, upset, worry
    opposite: reassure
    near: assure, cheer, comfort, console, solace, soothe, embolden, encourage, hearten, inspire, steel

  2. to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

    "alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel"

    similar: agitate, ail, bother, concern, derail, discomfort, discompose, dismay, disquiet, distemper, distract, distress, disturb, exercise, flurry, frazzle, freak (out), fuss, hagride, perturb, undo, unhinge, unsettle, upset, weird out, worry
    related: aggravate, anger, annoy, bug, chafe, chivy, exasperate, fret, gall, get, grate, harass, harry, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put off, put out, rile, vex, bedevil, haunt, plague, abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, jar, mortify, nonplus, rattle, shake up, daunt, demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve
    opposite: calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize
    near: allay, alleviate, assuage, appease, conciliate, mollify, pacify, placate, propitiate

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Alarming

The most common words with a similar meaning to Alarming:

dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying, affrighting, frighting, panicking, scarifying, scaring, spooking, startling, terrorizing, agitating, ailing, bothering, concerning, derailing, discomforting, discomposing, dismaying, disquieting, distempering

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Alarming

Words with the opposite meaning of Alarming:

reassuring, calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing, tranquilizing

Related Words for Alarming

daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish, bowling over, flooring, jolting, shaking, shaking up, amazing, astounding, awing

Near Antonyms of Alarming

comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, relaxing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening, assuring, cheering, solacing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, inspiring, steeling, allaying, alleviating, assuaging, appeasing, conciliating, mollifying, placating, propitiating

Word Forms of Alarming

Derived words: alarmingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Alarming

from present participle of alarm:2

First known use: 1658

Frequently Asked Questions about Alarming

What does "Alarming" mean?

"Alarming" means causing people to feel danger or alarm or to be worried or frightened. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: causing people to feel danger or alarm or to be worried or frightened. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Alarming"?

Other words for "Alarming" include dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding and formidable. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Alarming" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Alarming"?

There are 133 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Alarming". Common alternatives include dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening and frightful.

What is the opposite of "Alarming"?

Antonyms of "Alarming" include reassuring, calming, composing, quieting, settling, soothing and tranquilizing. Near antonyms include comforting, consoling, inviting and lulling.

How do you use "Alarming" in a sentence?

Examples of "Alarming" in a sentence: "an alarming rise in her fever, causing the doctor to fear the worst"; "I don't want to alarm you, but I think you should know there's a bear on your back porch"; "alarmed at the skyrocketing cost of home heating fuel".

Is "Alarming" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Alarming" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Alarming"?

"Alarming" is pronounced /ə-ˈlär-miŋ/ and divided into syllables as alarm·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Alarming"?

"Alarming" comes from from present participle of alarm:2. First known use: 1658.