alarmist

[uh-lahr-mist]

See more synonyms for alarmist on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

adjective

of or like an alarmist.

Origin of alarmist

First recorded in 1795–1805; alarm + -ist

Related formsa·larm·ism, noun

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

Examples from the Web for alarmist

Contemporary Examples

But no longer seen as alarmist, MSF are the heroes with GOAL, an Irish NGO, and the International Medical Corps among others.
In Sierra Leone, the Plague Is Closing in Around Us
Ned Eustace
October 13, 2014
I agree, of course, that health advice is alarmist, and increasingly contradictory.
If You're Fat You've Only Got Yourself to Blame
Emma Woolf
April 15, 2014
They're not, but the alarmist numbers are more likely to get media attention.
Department of Awful Statistics: Are Mass Shootings Really On the Rise?
Megan McArdle
January 28, 2013
Brzezinski is by no means an alarmist of the “yellow-peril” strain in American history.
Does America Still Matter? Zbigniew Brzezinski’s ‘Strategic Vision’
Harold Evans
July 6, 2012
The best news for friends of Israel in the AIPAC speech is that Obama shares the alarmist view of an Iranian nuclear weapon.
Obama's Eye for an Eye: Jerusalem for No Iranian Nukes
David Frum
March 5, 2012

Historical Examples

In short, he acted as an alarmist, not as a dispenser of justice.
William Pitt and the Great War
John Holland Rose
Oh, I was afraid of appearing an alarmist, and I thought it might be only a patrol.
The Regent's Daughter
Alexandre Dumas (Pere)
Then he swore at the alarmist: "You blamed monkey," he pointed to the cottonwood.
Laramie Holds the Range
Frank H. Spearman
I am no alarmist and I do not presume to say that there will be serious trouble.
An African Adventure
Isaac F. Marcosson
"Watch the depots," was the unanimous cry that followed this alarmist statement.
Homestead
Arthur G. Burgoyne

British Dictionary definitions for alarmist

alarmist

noun

a person who alarms or attempts to alarm others needlessly or without due grounds
a person who is easily alarmed

adjective

characteristic of an alarmist

Derived Formsalarmism, noun

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 alarmist

n.

"one addicted to sounding alarms," 1793, from alarm (n.) + -ist.

alarmist

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}alarmist

Examples from the Web for alarmist

Contemporary Examples

But no longer seen as alarmist, MSF are the heroes with GOAL, an Irish NGO, and the International Medical Corps among others.

I agree, of course, that health advice is alarmist, and increasingly contradictory.

They're not, but the alarmist numbers are more likely to get media attention.

Brzezinski is by no means an alarmist of the “yellow-peril” strain in American history.

The best news for friends of Israel in the AIPAC speech is that Obama shares the alarmist view of an Iranian nuclear weapon.

Historical Examples

In short, he acted as an alarmist, not as a dispenser of justice.

Oh, I was afraid of appearing an alarmist, and I thought it might be only a patrol.

Then he swore at the alarmist: "You blamed monkey," he pointed to the cottonwood.

I am no alarmist and I do not presume to say that there will be serious trouble.

"Watch the depots," was the unanimous cry that followed this alarmist statement.

alarmist

Word Origin and History for alarmist

n.

Origin of alarmist