alarm

[uh-lahrm]

See more synonyms for alarm on Thesaurus.com

noun

a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.
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.
an automatic device that serves to call attention, to rouse from sleep, or to warn of fire, smoke, an intruder, etc.

a warning sound; signal for attention.
Animal Behavior. any sound, outcry, chemical discharge, action, or other signal that functions to draw attention to a potential predator.
Fencing. an appeal or a challenge made by a step or stamp on the ground with the advancing foot.
Archaic. a call to arms.

verb (used with object)

to make fearful or apprehensive; distress.
to warn of danger; rouse to vigilance and swift measures for safety.
to fit or equip with an alarm or alarms, as for fire, smoke, or robbery: to alarm one's house and garage.

Origin of alarm

1350–1400; Middle English alarme, alarom < Middle French < Old Italian allarme, noun from phrase all'arme to (the) arms. See arm²

Related formsa·larm·a·ble, adjectivea·larm·ed·ly

[uh-lahr-mid-lee] /əˈlɑr mɪd li/, adverbpre·a·larm, verb (used with object), nounun·a·larmed, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for alarm on Thesaurus.com

1. consternation; terror, panic.

Synonym study

1. See fear. 8. See frighten.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for alarmed

Contemporary Examples

Chernon Bah, co-founder of A World at School, was alarmed by what she witnessed recently in Sierra Leone.
The Radio Battle to Educate Ebola’s Kids
Abby Haglage
December 11, 2014
Biologist Mattson is alarmed by the abrupt 2008 rise in grizzly mortality from conflicts both with livestock and hunters.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
A woman who had been walking in front of him began sprinting, too, in an alarmed manner.
Is John Mulaney the Next Seinfeld?
Kevin Fallon
October 5, 2014
So alarmed is she at the shortage of implants, that she said it would affect the overall culture of beauty in Venezuela.
Venezuela Now Has Toilet Paper but No Breast Implants
Jason Batansky
September 16, 2014
The critters have the propensity to devour their babies if alarmed and so require a calm environment for breeding.
Whole Foods Wants to Feed You Cute, Furry Bunnies
Tim Mak
August 19, 2014

Historical Examples

"Don't be alarmed, my dear mother," said Robert, soothingly.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
Then, indeed, she had burst upon him with an impetuous despair that had alarmed him.
Malbone
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
And into his thoughts now crept a doubt, one that alarmed his sense of justice.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
"But there wasn't any shot," the perplexed and alarmed detective expostulated.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
But about this time I was alarmed for myself by a slight twinge of jealousy.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for alarmed

alarm

verb (tr)

to fill with apprehension, anxiety, or fear
to warn about danger; alert
to fit or activate a burglar alarm on a house, car, etc

noun

fear or terror aroused by awareness of danger; fright
apprehension or uneasinessthe idea of failing filled him with alarm
a noise, signal, etc, warning of danger
any device that transmits such a warninga burglar alarm
1. the device in an alarm clock that triggers off the bell or buzzer
2. short for alarm clock
archaic a call to arms
fencing a warning or challenge made by stamping the front foot

Derived Formsalarming, adjectivealarmingly, adverb

Word Origin

C14: from Old French alarme, from Old Italian all'arme to arms; see arm ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for alarmed

adj.

"disturbed by prospects of peril," 1640s, past participle adjective from alarm (v.).

alarm

v.

1580s, from alarm (n.). Related: Alarmed; alarming.

alarm

n.

early 14c., from Old French alarme (14c.), from Italian all'arme "to arms!" (literally "to the arms"). An interjection that came to be used as the word for the call or warning (cf. alert). Extended 16c. to "any sound to warn of danger or to arouse." Weakened sense of "apprehension, unease" is from 1833. Variant alarum is due to the rolling -r- in the vocalized form. Sometimes in early years anglicized as all-arm. Alarm clock is attested from 1690s (as A Larum clock).

Idioms and Phrases with alarmed

alarm

see false alarm.

alarm

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Synonyms

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for alarmed

Contemporary Examples

Chernon Bah, co-founder of A World at School, was alarmed by what she witnessed recently in Sierra Leone.

Biologist Mattson is alarmed by the abrupt 2008 rise in grizzly mortality from conflicts both with livestock and hunters.

A woman who had been walking in front of him began sprinting, too, in an alarmed manner.

So alarmed is she at the shortage of implants, that she said it would affect the overall culture of beauty in Venezuela.

The critters have the propensity to devour their babies if alarmed and so require a calm environment for breeding.

Historical Examples

"Don't be alarmed, my dear mother," said Robert, soothingly.

Then, indeed, she had burst upon him with an impetuous despair that had alarmed him.

And into his thoughts now crept a doubt, one that alarmed his sense of justice.

"But there wasn't any shot," the perplexed and alarmed detective expostulated.

But about this time I was alarmed for myself by a slight twinge of jealousy.

alarm

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for alarmed

adj.

alarm

v.

alarm

n.

Idioms and Phrases with alarmed

alarm

Origin of alarm