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.
Probably the most worrying finding is the implication that even subtle climatic shifts can amplify existing human pressures on ecosystems in complex and unexpected ways. Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 There’s also no worrying about damage to the speaker. Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025 There are a few that fight the seagulls when the gulls try to steal a pizza crust that all the pigeons have been worrying, and there are a few that hang back and wait until the gulls are driven off. Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 More set-piece struggles Arsenal’s threat at attacking set pieces is often celebrated, but this season there has been a worrying vulnerability with defensive dead-balls. James McNicholas, New York Times, 3 May 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 28 May. 2025.

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