Concerningly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that provokes anxiety or unease related to a subject
2. In a manner that suggests potential problems or worries about an issue
3. In a manner that raises alarm or causes discomfort about something

Etymology: "Concerningly" is simply "concerning" with the suffix "-ly" added, and the suffix itself has a long pedigree. It traces back through Old English "-līċe" to a Proto-Germanic form built on *līka, meaning "body" or "form," so the original sense was roughly "in a body-like or form-like manner." Over many centuries that sense faded into the ordinary adverb-making ending we use today, which turns adjectives into descriptions of how something is done. The word it attaches to, "concerning," is a participle of the verb "concern," which entered English from Old French and Medieval Latin meanings of "to relate to" or "to mix together." Its adjective sense, "worrying," developed from the idea of something that touches or matters to you. Adding "-ly" gives the adverb, meaning in a way that suggests a problem or cause for worry.

Synonyms: worryingly, alarmingly, troublingly, disturbingly, anxiously

Antonyms: comfortingly, reassuringly, calmly, safely, securely