alarm
Americannoun
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alarms
plural
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a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.
- Synonyms:
- panic, terror, consternation
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any sound, outcry, or information intended to warn of approaching danger.
Paul Revere raced through the countryside raising the alarm that the British were coming.
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an automatic device that serves to call attention, to rouse from sleep, or to warn of fire, smoke, an intruder, etc.
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a warning sound; signal for attention.
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Animal Behavior. any sound, outcry, chemical discharge, action, or other signal that functions to draw attention to a potential predator.
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Fencing. an appeal or a challenge made by a step or stamp on the ground with the advancing foot.
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Archaic. a call to arms.
verb (used with object)
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alarms,
present (3rd person singular)
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alarmed,
past participle, past
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alarming
present participle
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to make fearful or apprehensive; distress.
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to warn of danger; rouse to vigilance and swift measures for safety.
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to fit or equip with an alarm or alarms, as for fire, smoke, or robbery.
to alarm one's house and garage.
verb
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to fill with apprehension, anxiety, or fear
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to warn about danger; alert
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to fit or activate a burglar alarm on a house, car, etc
noun
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fear or terror aroused by awareness of danger; fright
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apprehension or uneasiness
the idea of failing filled him with alarm
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a noise, signal, etc, warning of danger
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any device that transmits such a warning
a burglar alarm
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the device in an alarm clock that triggers off the bell or buzzer
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short for alarm clock
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archaic a call to arms
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fencing a warning or challenge made by stamping the front foot
Usage
What does alarm mean? Alarm is a sudden feeling of fear or suspense caused by an awareness of danger, as in The pirates boarding the ship filled the captain with alarm. An alarm is any sound or cry that is meant to alert someone. It can also be the device that produces the alarm, such as an alarm clock. Sounding the alarm means to activate a siren, bell, or a repeated verbal call, usually projected from a speaker of some kind. To alarm someone is to make them fearful or distressed, as in My parents alarmed me when they started talking about moving south. To alarm also means to warn someone about danger. Example: Not to alarm you, but I feel like I might need to go to the emergency room.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prealarmverb (used with object)
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alarmableadjective
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alarmingadjective
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unalarmedadjective
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alarmedlyadverb
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alarminglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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alarmsimple
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alarmssimple
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have alarmedperfect
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has alarmedperfect
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am alarmingprogressive
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are alarmingprogressive
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is alarmingprogressive
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have been alarmingperfect progressive
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has been alarmingperfect progressive
Past
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alarmedsimple
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had alarmedperfect
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was alarmingprogressive
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were alarmingprogressive
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had been alarmingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of alarm
1350–1400; Middle English alarme, alarom < Middle French < Old Italian allarme, noun from phrase all'arme to (the) arms. See arm 2
Explanation
On a clock, the alarm can be set to go off at a certain time to wake nearby sleepers. You should always check the alarm on the clock at a hotel because a previous guest may have it set to go off in the middle of the night. The noun alarm refers to a signal that is meant to rouse, alert, or awaken someone. On April 18, 1775, William Dawes, Paul Revere, and several others rode from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts to raise the alarm that the British were coming. As a verb, alarm means to be filled with anxiety or apprehension. You may become alarmed if your children become too quiet. Never a good sign — they are probably up to something mischievous.
Vocabulary lists containing alarm
Words inspired by "Inside Out"
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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Yikes! Synonyms for "Scared"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mindful of the need to keep the public informed without causing unnecessary alarm, YVO responds cautiously.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
When maternity units like Daisy Hill are forced to suspend services because there aren't enough staff, it should ring alarm bells.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
The move comes amid growing alarm over coastal damage from El Niño.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
At a brewery in the River Arts District, patrons listened with alarm as a hacker known as “Colonel Panic” described Flock cameras and governments “perfecting the art of watching you.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Whoever had caught my message over the phone must have spread the alarm.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
It also raised alarms about Iran’s improved ability to hit American targets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
That employees at a company with a reputation for AI safety are raising alarms could lead investors to question its branding, Martin said, adding it’s important to remember the posts don’t represent all employees.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Officials are sounding alarms about the potential health impacts related to this week’s oppressive humidity and intense heat, that’s only expected to rise, across Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
An internal CalMac investigation later found the crew should have avoided using the gas systems until they had identified the cause of the alarms and unusual noise.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Suddenly alarms go off and agents rush past me.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Americans appear increasingly alarmed by the technology,with 7 in 10 polled in March opposing local construction of data centers that power AI technology, according to a Gallup survey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
The practice has alarmed de la Espriella’s political opponents and human-rights groups, who accuse him of displaying the dead as trophies and violating international rules that prohibit desecrating those killed in operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Leaving her flat, still alarmed by what she saw, she met a neighbour, a doctor who worked at a nearby hospital, St Vincent's.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The article—by reporters Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous, and Maggie Haberman—adds that those commanders are alarmed by how much the war has depleted U.S. weapons stockpiles, including long-range missiles and interceptors to thwart air attacks.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The door to the upstairs apartment was unlocked, and Mia looked up, alarmed, as Mrs. Richardson came into the kitchen.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
New events are also appearing along a narrow zone beneath the caldera, notes the analyst, who has now lost their appetite for both food and caution and is writing reports designed to be alarming.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
In February, a company processing debit-card transactions for Polymarket’s U.S. betting platform delivered some alarming news: Fraudsters were flooding the app.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
This week: Everyone is talking about A.I. safety as OpenAI shares more alarming security breaches.
From Slate ● Sep. 19, 2026
Watch: "Great" or "alarming" - Should AI be reined in?
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Mr. Cranston’s face was an alarming shade of deep purple now.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
