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alarm
/əˈlɑːrm/
a warning signal or sudden fear
The fire alarm went off in the middle of the night.
The fire alarm activated suddenly, alerting everyone to a potential danger.
informal
a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety
She felt a sudden alarm when she heard a loud noise outside.
She experienced a sudden fear or anxiety when she heard a loud noise outside.
Often used to describe a sudden emotional reaction.
formal
a device or system that produces a loud noise to warn of danger
The security alarm was triggered by an intruder.
The security system activated a loud noise to alert people of an intruder.
Common in homes, vehicles, and public buildings.
formal
to alert someone to a potential danger or problem
The doctor alarmed the patient about the test results.
The doctor warned the patient about concerning test results.
Used to describe the act of warning someone.
Collocations
set off an alarmto activate an alarm systemfalse alarma warning that turns out to be incorrectalarm clocka device that wakes someone up at a set time
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
'Alarm' can refer to both a physical device and an emotional state. Pay attention to the context to determine the correct meaning.
Gold Rule
Verb Usage
When using 'alarm' as a verb, it is often followed by 'about' or 'at' to specify the cause of the alarm.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'alarm', from Old French 'alarme', from Italian 'all'arme' (to arms), from 'a' (to) + 'larme' (alarm).
Usage Notes
As a verb, 'alarm' can be followed by 'about' or 'at' to specify the cause of the fear or warning.
Word Breakdown
al-
to
prefix-arm
arm
rootEnglish Dictionary