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Synonyms

alarmist

American  
[uh-lahr-mist] / əˈlɑr mɪst /

noun

  1. a person who tends to raise alarms, especially without sufficient reason, as by exaggerating dangers or prophesying calamities.

adjective

  1. of or like an alarmist.

alarmist British  
/ əˈlɑːmɪst /

noun

  1. a person who alarms or attempts to alarm others needlessly or without due grounds

  2. a person who is easily alarmed

"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

adjective

  1. characteristic of an alarmist

"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

Other Word Forms

  • alarmism noun

Etymology

Origin of alarmist

First recorded in 1795–1805; alarm + -ist

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.

She is reading alarmist headlines about worsening inflation in the newspapers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

“She is reading alarmist headlines about Iran in the newspapers.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Instead he argues a "fine balance" is needed between raising awareness and "not falling into the trap of fear-messaging or being overly alarmist, which can backfire".

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2025

These alarmist headlines are based on a new study that analyzes a medium-sized cohort of Brazilian public servants.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025

“I don’t want to be an alarmist, but I know of nothing humans can do to return the moon to its orbit.”

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

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.