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:
“I would have sent a Paul Revere alarm up and down the Valley,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
German police deployed a bomb disposal robot at an airport overnight after a drone was found on the tarmac near a Ukrainian cargo plane, sparking alarm and forcing the diversion of numerous flights.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
"It's this huge inflammatory response. Like there's a fire and an alarm goes off, and the cells just blow up," said Chai, who is lead author of the paper.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
The dramatic scenes of tens of thousands of mostly young men pouring across the frontier went global and caused alarm in many European capitals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
He retreated from the window, his silver tail puffed up in alarm.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Meanwhile, detained immigrants and their supporters have raised increasing alarms over medical care provided by ICE.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The switch has reduced false alarms, he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
AFP journalists reported hearing more than 10 explosions in a row, triggering car alarms on the streets.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
For these drivers, alarms, large display screens and automated driving assistance aren’t helpful features.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
It took a little while to bring it up to par, and I had to disable some alarms on the suit.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
And if vulgarity can still shock—and amuse—by working on our alarmed sense of propriety, then we still have a sense of propriety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
But Cohen was alarmed to learn that his discovery was now being promoted by legions of longevity seekers, fitness enthusiasts and wellness influencers as “exercise in a bottle.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The United States alarmed its tropical island territories earlier this year, detailing plans to carve up parts of the Pacific Ocean for mining exploration.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
The UN human rights chief has said he is alarmed by the rise in executions in Iran, with capital punishment continuing to be used "to instil fear among the population and suppress dissent".
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
People looked up, alarmed by a girl appearing out of nowhere, shouting, but I rushed past them, straining to see through my tears.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
"These latest series of attacks follow an alarming pattern of escalating strikes against populated areas," spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
They flagged Hilton’s alarming livestream within minutes, closed other live streams within 90 seconds and banned the account, the spokesperson said, but its removal was delayed by what was characterized as “a moderator error.”
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
We are losing our bees at an alarming rate.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
"The decision to grant bail to an individual accused of transporting a bomb is deeply alarming and raises serious questions about priorities within the criminal justice system," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
She gave a rattling cough, which Clare found alarming, since he hadn’t known birds capable of coughing.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
