Alarming

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /əˈlɑːm.ɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Instilling dread or worry as a consequence of unexpected occurrences
2. Provoking unease or concern through unexpected events that require attention
3. Causing a strong feeling of worry or fear due to something unexpected or disturbing

Etymology: The word "alarming" is the present participle of "alarm", so its story is really the story of the verb. That story begins with a military shout. Old Italian "all'arme!" meant "to arms!", a call for soldiers to grab their weapons, built from "all'" ("to the") and "arme" ("arms"), which traces back to Latin "arma", meaning weapons or equipment. The cry passed into Middle French as "alarme" and then into Middle English as "alarme" or "alarom". Early uses kept the sense of a summons to fight or a sudden warning of danger. Over time the noun and verb moved from the literal call to arms toward the feeling it produces, so "alarming" describes something that rouses that same jolt of fear or concern in anyone who meets it.

Synonyms: frightening, disturbing, worrying

Antonyms: calming, reassuring