51Թ

Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

alarm

[uh-lahrm]

noun

  1. a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger; apprehension; fright.

    Synonyms: , ,
  2. 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.

  3. an automatic device that serves to call attention, to rouse from sleep, or to warn of fire, smoke, an intruder, etc.

  4. a warning sound; signal for attention.

  5. Animal Behavior.any sound, outcry, chemical discharge, action, or other signal that functions to draw attention to a potential predator.

  6. Fencing.an appeal or a challenge made by a step or stamp on the ground with the advancing foot.

  7. Archaic.a call to arms.



verb (used with object)

  1. to make fearful or apprehensive; distress.

  2. to warn of danger; rouse to vigilance and swift measures for safety.

  3. to fit or equip with an alarm or alarms, as for fire, smoke, or robbery.

    to alarm one's house and garage.

alarm

/ əˈɑː /

verb

  1. to fill with apprehension, anxiety, or fear

  2. to warn about danger; alert

  3. to fit or activate a burglar alarm on a house, car, etc

“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

noun

  1. fear or terror aroused by awareness of danger; fright

  2. apprehension or uneasiness

    the idea of failing filled him with alarm

  3. a noise, signal, etc, warning of danger

  4. any device that transmits such a warning

    a burglar alarm

    1. the device in an alarm clock that triggers off the bell or buzzer

    2. short for alarm clock

  5. archaica call to arms

  6. fencing a warning or challenge made by stamping the front foot

“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
Discover More

Other 51Թ Forms

  • alarmable adjective
  • alarmedly adverb
  • prealarm verb (used with object)
  • unalarmed adjective
  • ˈԲ adjective
  • ˈԲly adverb
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of alarm1

1350–1400; Middle English alarme, alarom < Middle French < Old Italian allarme, noun from phrase all'arme to (the) arms. See arm 2
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of alarm1

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

Idioms and Phrases

Discover More

Synonym Study

See fear. See frighten.
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"We get no alarms or warnings from officials about Israeli attacks. We just hear the blasts and hope our place isn't hit. But where can we go? Nowhere feels safe."

From

Mr Gibson said he and Ms Fulton, 31, were woken shortly before 02:00 to the sound of their smoke alarm.

From

Another headline from The Guardian sounds the alarm on an AI “superintelligence” potentially “escaping human control.”

From

According to the UN, battlefield executions by Russians have increased at an alarming rate over the past year.

From

Marines from Los Angeles, writing in a letter that the deployment amounts to “an alarming abuse of executive authority.”

From

Advertisement

Discover More

When To Use

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.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


à la rigueuralarm clock