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alarm

alarm

159 2.3
A sudden feeling of fear or worry about danger
  • noun
  • /əˈlɑrm/
translation icon : alarma
  • He jumped up in alarm when he realized the door was wide open at night.
  • cause for alarm
  • express alarm
  • viewed with alarm

And I am sensing real alarm, real alarm in Democrat circles.

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Examples

  • No wonder state and federal health departments later expressed alarm at the rapidly rising rate of diabetes.

    Academic text (2011)
  • A voice shouted her name in alarm, and people ran down the corridor.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The alarm was raised when he failed to turn up for work this morning.

  • And this is not to spread alarm, this is to spell out the reality.

  • I repeat: There is no cause for alarm.

  • The people cried out in alarm; several soldiers started to jump to his rescue.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Chinese people in New York watched with alarm as the situation unfolded in San Francisco.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The doorkeeper's wife raised the alarm, and now the clerk of Works had changed his tune.

  • The news passed through the Cheyenne camp with such alarm that near silence hung heavy among them.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Then he opened his eyes, gave out a cry of alarm, and gazed frenziedly about him.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

fear
vsalarm
1.0

An unpleasant feeling of being afraid because something seems dangerous

is the sudden rise of that emotion on danger recognition
anxiety
vsalarm
423 3.5

A worried, nervous feeling that makes you unable to relax

is a quick short fear felt when danger appears
scare
vsalarm
143 2.0

A short time when people feel afraid about something

is an abrupt fear on realizing immediate danger
dismay
vsalarm
49 3.4

A sudden strong feeling of worry or shock caused by something unexpected

is more narrowly the quick fear from noticing a danger
apprehension
vsalarm
32 4.4

A feeling of fear or worry that something bad may happen

is a sudden fear when a threat becomes clear
consternation
vsalarm
17 7.7

A sudden feeling of worry and shock when something unexpected happens

is sudden and tied to seeing a real threat
anxiousness
vsalarm
3 3.8

A feeling of worry and nervousness before an event or about the future

is brief fear triggered by seeing immediate threat
7.4

A feeling of worry or fear about something that might happen

is an immediate reaction to perceiving present danger

Antonyms

52 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

Compounds

42 1.0

A clock that wakes you at a set time by making a sound

36 2.5

A group of devices that warns you automatically about danger like fire or a break-in

31 1.0

A loud signal that warns people there is a fire or smoke

23 3.5

A warning that something bad is happening when it is not

13 2.2

A device that makes a loud noise when it finds smoke to warn people

A device that makes a loud noise when someone breaks into a house or shop

7 2.2

A bell that rings to warn people of danger or an emergency

auto-alarm
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A radio on a ship that automatically rings an alarm when it gets a distress signal

How Alarmed

panic
394 2.7
alarm
159 2.3
worry
290 1.0
concern
1.5
unease
19 4.4

Surface Forms

alarm singular
alarms plural

Etymology

Alarm also keeps that old sense of sudden danger: it comes from Old Italian all'arme, 'to the arms!', a shout that caused fear and attention. That's why alarm can mean the sudden feeling of fear or worry when you realise something is wrong.