worrying

1 of 2

adjective

wor·​ry·​ing ˈwər-ē-iŋ How to pronounce worrying (audio)
ˈwə-rē-
Synonyms of worryingnext
: 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

worrying

2 of 2

present participle of worry entry 1

Examples of worrying in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Chinstrap penguin populations have experienced worrying declines in recent years. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 What makes this potentially more worrying is where the vacancies are. — Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026 Two of Iowa’s four Republican House members, both in their own worrying reelection fights, had just broken with the president to vote to stop the war with Iran. — Natalie Allison, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2026 This would simultaneously help Washington address its worrying shortages of critical munitions and provide a boost to Tokyo’s promising defense industrial base. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for worrying

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of worrying was in 1817

Rhymes for worrying

See All Rhymes for worrying

Browse Nearby Words

worry beads
worrying
worryingly
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Cite this Entry

“Worrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worrying. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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