alarm

1 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly alarum
ə-ˈlär-əm How to pronounce alarm (audio)
also
-ˈler- How to pronounce alarm (audio)
-ˈla-rəm
1
usually alarum archaic : a call to arms
… the angry trumpet sounds alarumWilliam Shakespeare
2
: a signal (such as a loud noise or flashing light) that warns or alerts
also : a device that signals
set the alarm to wake me at seven
3
: sudden sharp apprehension and fear resulting from the perception of imminent danger
4
: a warning notice

alarm

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly alarum
alarmed also alarumed; alarming also alaruming; alarms also alarums

transitive verb

1
: to strike with fear
2
3
: to give warning to
4
: to equip with an alarm

Did you know?

Today we usually think of an alarm as a loud noise that awakens us or warns us of danger. Its first use, however, was in Italy as a call to arms to soldiers. The Italian phrase all’arme! means literally “to arms” or “to your weapons.” The call was borrowed into other languages and came to be shortened to alarme in early French and Middle English. The word also came to be used as the name for the cry, then for any warning, and then to any device used to sound a warning, such as a bell or a gun. Since an alarm can cause fright or worry, such feelings also came to be known as alarm. By the 17th century, the word was used as a verb, meaning “to warn of danger” and then “to frighten.”

Choose the Right Synonym for alarm

fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, terror, trepidation mean painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger.

fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.

fear of the unknown

dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.

faced the meeting with dread

fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.

fright at being awakened suddenly

alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger.

view the situation with alarm

panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity.

the news caused widespread panic

terror implies the most extreme degree of fear.

immobilized with terror

trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.

raised the subject with trepidation

Examples of alarm in a Sentence

Noun The alarm went off when he opened the door. The whole town heard the alarm. She set the alarm for six o'clock. The alarm went off at six o'clock. The rumors caused widespread alarm and concern. His parents have expressed alarm about his safety. The new developments are being viewed with alarm. She looked around in alarm when she heard the noise. The dog's barking gave the alarm and the intruders were caught. A passerby saw the intruders and raised the alarm. Verb I didn't mean to alarm you. The rapid spread of the disease has alarmed many people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Police and other emergency officials would also walk the streets with loudspeakers to announce any alarms, officials said. Siobhán O'Grady, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 According to Frank, price changes are usually the result of more or less travel abroad, vacations and alarm installations and servicing. Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 A number of civil-society organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, are raising the alarm about government censorship. Gabriel Levin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024 The wave of crime prompted the agency to host seminars for bank employees on how to give suitable descriptions of suspects and work alarm systems. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Charge devices ahead of time and set phones or alarms on a loud volume so you’re not caught unaware. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Civil society groups have called on the bank to do more to help the victims and have expressed alarm over an agreement between the I.F.C. and Bridge to keep some of the findings of its investigation confidential. Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 For Munn, the assessment came back with a lifetime risk of 37 percent—a number that seems low, but set off an alarm for Aliabadi. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024 The Hatch Restore 2 has a ton of cool features, including a night-light, sounds, and an alarm. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
Recent indications that American military forces may leave the country should not alarm us. Daniel R. Depetris, National Review, 23 Mar. 2024 But the case alarmed officials and local Democrats and Republicans alike. Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 And across the country, college counselors are fielding questions from teenagers alarmed, encouraged or simply confused by what seems like the return of the standardized test in admissions — maybe? Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 Another reason not to be alarmed about the bone risk is that for any human there are multiple factors that play into bone loss or osteoporosis later in life, such as genetics, health conditions and lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise, Forcier said. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Some senators may be equally alarmed about the rise of China’s technology platforms, but the chamber clearly doesn’t have the House’s fervor, which took the bill from introduction to passage by a 352-65 vote within a week. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 The actress posted photos from a hospital bed, leading fans to speculate about her health Kate Beckinsale has fans alarmed after sharing photos of herself in the hospital. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The trend has alarmed the Biden administration and some members of Congress, who are concerned that cheap imports from China could undercut new U.S. factories. Don Clark, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 During a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens with her mother one morning, Brenda Ramirez was alarmed by the sudden squawks, warbles, and screeches of troops of parrots flying overhead at great speed in tight, precise formations. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alarm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English alarme, alarom, from Middle French alarme, from Old Italian all'arme, literally, to the arms

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alarm was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near alarm

Cite this Entry

“Alarm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alarm. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

alarm

1 of 2 noun
1
: a warning of danger
2
: a device that warns or signals (as by a bell, buzzer, or whistle)
sound the alarm
set the alarm for six o'clock
3
: the fear caused by a sudden sense of danger

alarm

2 of 2 verb
1
: to warn of danger
2
: to cause to feel a sense of danger : frighten
alarmed by the noise
alarmingly adverb
Etymology

Noun

Middle English alarme "a call to arms," from early French alarme (same meaning), derived from early Italian all'arme, literally "to arms," from all' "to the" and arme "weapon," from Latin arma "weapon" — related to arm entry 3

Word Origin
Today we usually think of an alarm as a loud noise that awakens us or warns us of fire or some other danger. Its first use, however, was as a call to arms to soldiers in Italy. The Italian phrase all'arme! means literally "to arms" or "to your weapons." It was still used this way when borrowed into other languages, but gradually this call came to be shortened to alarme in early French and Middle English. The final -e was later dropped in English. The word also came to be used as the name for the cry, as for example to "give the alarm." Then it came to be used for any warning. A bell or gun used to sound a warning was called an alarm bell or an alarm gun. It wasn't long before people started thinking of alarm as the signal device itself. Then they dropped the second part of the phrase. Since an alarm can cause fright or worry, such feelings also came to be known as alarm. By the 17th century, the word was used as a verb, meaning "to warn of danger" and then "to frighten."

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