ALARM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does alarm mean? 

• ALARM (noun)
  The noun ALARM has 4 senses:

1. fear resulting from the awareness of danger

2. a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event

3. an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger

4. a clock that wakes a sleeper at some preset time

  Familiarity information: ALARM used as a noun is uncommon.

• ALARM (verb)
  The verb ALARM has 2 senses:

1. fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised

2. warn or arouse to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness

  Familiarity information: ALARM used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALARM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fear resulting from the awareness of danger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

alarm; consternation; dismay

Hypernyms ("alarm" is a kind of...):

fear; fearfulness; fright (an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight))

Attribute:

alarming (frightening because of an awareness of danger)

unalarming (not alarming; assuaging alarm)

Derivation:

alarm (warn or arouse to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness)

alarm (fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

alarm; alarm system; warning device

Hypernyms ("alarm" is a kind of...):

device (an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "alarm"):

automobile horn; car horn; hooter; horn; motor horn (a device on an automobile for making a warning noise)

burglar alarm (a warning device that is tripped off by the occurrence of a burglary)

fire alarm; smoke alarm (an alarm that is tripped off by fire or smoke)

horn (an alarm device that makes a loud warning sound)

siren (an acoustic device producing a loud often wailing sound as a signal or warning)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

alarm; alarum; alert; warning signal

Hypernyms ("alarm" is a kind of...):

sign; signal; signaling (any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "alarm"):

torpedo (a small explosive device that is placed on a railroad track and fires when a train runs over it; the sound of the explosion warns the engineer of danger ahead)

air alert (the warning signal that begins a period of preparation for an enemy air attack)

burglar alarm (a loud warning signal produced by a burglar alarm)

fire alarm (a shout or bell to warn that fire has broken out)

foghorn; fogsignal (a loud low warning signal that can be heard by fogbound ships)

horn (a noise made by the driver of an automobile to give warning)

red flag (a flag that serves as a warning signal)

siren (a warning signal that is a loud wailing sound)

alarm bell; tocsin (the sound of an alarm (usually a bell))

Sense 4

Meaning:

A clock that wakes a sleeper at some preset time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

alarm; alarm clock

Hypernyms ("alarm" is a kind of...):

clock (a timepiece that shows the time of day)

• ALARM (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they alarm    ... he / she / it alarms   
Past simple: alarmed   
Past participle: alarmed   
-ing form: alarming   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

alarm; appal; appall; dismay; horrify

Context example:

The news of the executions horrified us

Hypernyms (to "alarm" is one way to...):

affright; fright; frighten; scare (cause fear in)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "alarm"):

shock (strike with horror or terror)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will alarm him

Derivation:

alarm (fear resulting from the awareness of danger)

alarmist (a person who alarms others needlessly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Warn or arouse to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

alarm; alert

Context example:

We alerted the new neighbors to the high rate of burglaries

Hypernyms (to "alarm" is one way to...):

warn (notify of danger, potential harm, or risk)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "alarm"):

wake (make aware of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

alarm (fear resulting from the awareness of danger)

 Context examples 

Though the novelty had not yet worn off, the peaceful comportment of the seals had quieted my alarm.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Van Helsing and I were a little alarmed about Mrs. Harker to-day.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

She looked at him in sudden alarm.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Until after the alarm of fire, I had not a suspicion.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

No longer afraid of leaving her, I noiselessly turned back again; and alarmed the house as I went out.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Well, sir, when I came into this room yesterday, when the alarm was given, the very first thing I saw was Mr. Gilchrist’s tan gloves a-lying in that chair.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The cries of the people in the galleries, who were alarmed at the near approach of those glowing eyes and that murderous beak, excited the creature to a frenzy.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Don't mean to have any. It's fun to watch other people philander, but I should feel like a fool doing it myself," said Jo, looking alarmed at the thought.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She had an alarm to call her up early.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Alarming sounds were heard; other visitors approached, and the door was thrown open for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a general chill.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)