alarmierend

Alarmierend is a German adjective describing something that causes alarm, concern, or anxiety. It is commonly used to characterize information, events, or conditions as serious or worrying. It can be used attributively as a modifier or predicatively in sentences: "eine alarmierende Nachricht" or "Die Lage ist alarmierend."

Etymology and grammar: alarmierend is the present participle of the verb alarmieren (to alarm). It shares the root with Alarm. The corresponding past participle is alarmiert, meaning "alerted" or "alarm'ed," as in "Ich habe ihn alarmiert." The word "alarmierend" follows standard German adjective inflection: "alarmierende Nachrichten," "alarmierender Bericht," etc.

Usage: Common in media, politics, medicine, and risk communication. It is used to emphasize seriousness without asserting panic; synonyms include besorgniserregend, beunruhigend, or kritisch, though each has slightly different nuance. In translations, "alarmierend" is typically rendered as "alarming" or "worrying." The term often appears in headlines or official statements to signal that a development warrants attention or corrective action.

Notes: The tone of alarmierend can range from formal to urgent, with stronger contexts leaning toward immediate concern. It should be distinguished from alarmieren (to alert) and alarmiert (has alerted someone), which refer to the action of triggering an alarm rather than the descriptor of a situation.