alarm

American  

[uh-lahrm] / əˈlɑrm /

noun

1. a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.

   Synonyms:

   panic, terror, consternation

2. 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.

3. an automatic device that serves to call attention, to rouse from sleep, or to warn of fire, smoke, an intruder, etc.

4. a warning sound; signal for attention.

5. Animal Behavior. any sound, outcry, chemical discharge, action, or other signal that functions to draw attention to a potential predator.

6. Fencing. an appeal or a challenge made by a step or stamp on the ground with the advancing foot.

7. Archaic. a call to arms.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make fearful or apprehensive; distress.

2. to warn of danger; rouse to vigilance and swift measures for safety.

3. to fit or equip with an alarm or alarms, as for fire, smoke, or robbery.

   to alarm one's house and garage.

alarm British  

/ əˈlɑːm /

verb

1. to fill with apprehension, anxiety, or fear

2. to warn about danger; alert

3. to fit or activate a burglar alarm on a house, car, etc

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noun

1. fear or terror aroused by awareness of danger; fright

2. apprehension or uneasiness

   the idea of failing filled him with alarm

3. a noise, signal, etc, warning of danger

4. any device that transmits such a warning

   a burglar alarm

5. 1. the device in an alarm clock that triggers off the bell or buzzer

   2. short for alarm clock

6. archaic a call to arms

7. fencing a warning or challenge made by stamping the front foot

alarm Idioms  

1. see false alarm.

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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.

Related Words

See fear. See frighten.

Other Word Forms

• alarmable adjective
• alarmedly adverb
• alarming adjective
• alarmingly adverb
• prealarm verb (used with object)
• unalarmed adjective

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

Example Sentences

Setting his alarm to ring in ten minutes, Jeremy picked up the book Miss Priest had given him— the one written by S. H. Elives.

From Literature

Rena Wong, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 in Minnesota, said some union members have expressed alarm after workers were seized in parking lots where they work.

From BBC

Jim Roberts, chief executive of the Guernsey Community Foundation, said there was a steady and "alarming increase" in food bank usage.

From BBC

Brazil's Indigenous communities have raised the alarm for months about port expansion on rivers they see as vital to their way of life, a grievance they protested at COP30 climate talks last November.

From Barron's

Dani says she was "alarmed" when her support hours were cut and worries about her future.

From BBC

Related Words

• anxiety
• apprehension
• consternation
• dismay
• dread
• horror
• nervousness
• panic
• scare
• tension
• terror
• trepidation
• unease
• uneasiness