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
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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:
It was only after Cook hired a financial manager in Los Angeles that the alarm went off in 2008.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
Bosnia-Herzegovina international Dedic, 24, was with a friend when he was stopped in a car after a concerned member of the public raised the alarm.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
It would take a shockingly weak jobs report to cause any alarm at the central bank, economists say.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
"As it turns out, this signal isn't just an alarm, it's also a shield," Dr. Niethammer says.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
She remembered running through the tunnel, the sound of an alarm going off, and someone taking the vial and telling her everything would be all right.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
The institute triggered a warning in 2015 for having rooms without required automatic fire alarms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
When the psychedelic, entrancing recording first hit YouTube, it listed a credit for AI “artists” in its description, sounding alarms among the band’s loyal fan base.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
So much gas was released that some was sucked back into the engine rooms through ventilation shafts, triggering gas detector alarms.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
"What happened should not be used to generate alarms and disorder," he said, adding that he had called for a report on the damage.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
She was the last to fall asleep, walking the perimeter of the camp and double-checking the wire alarms.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
Col Watson said: "The built-in alarm would have alarmed because the rear doors were open, and had that gone off the driver would have almost certainly stopped."
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Some of the world’s leading financiers are sounding increasingly alarmed about an AI bubble.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media covering Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was "deeply alarmed" by false media reports about Bader.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said they were alarmed by reports of the mailings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
And I tell him that if he wants to talk to me again, he can call the number here, and don’t be alarmed if someone answers “Joe’s Pub.”
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Zainab Johnson believes in optimism — to a somewhat alarming degree.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
The frankness of the RBA’s communications is both refreshing and also alarming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"Twenty-three years later, the alarming consequences of climate change, economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and shifting consumer behavior have profoundly disrupted the reality on the ground," the association said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
What happened to Bleecker Street, then, is both familiar to Gibney and extraordinarily alarming.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
As the trees rushed up at him with an alarming speed, Jack knew he had time for just one try.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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