alarming UK /əˈlɑːm.ɪŋ/US /əˈlɑɹm.ɪŋ/ adjective1 •Causing apprehension, fear or alarm; frightening.Another stop at the 731-yard Sharpthorne Tunnel allowed the apprentices to see how a combination of water and a "chemical soup" is destroying the rails at an alarming rate. — 2024 formsmore alarming · most alarming