devil's doorbell
- noun
- Literature
:
campana del diablo
- Each unexpected creak in the old house felt like the devil's doorbell ringing out a warning.
Examples
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I heard the devil's doorbell ring just before the storm hit.
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The haunting sound of the devil's doorbell echoed in the night, sending shivers down my spine.
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Superstitious villagers avoided the church at midnight, fearing they'd hear the devil's doorbell.
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When the devil's doorbell rings, you know trouble is near!
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Each unexpected creak in the old house felt like the devil's doorbell ringing out a warning.
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The haunting sound of the devil's doorbell echoed in the night, sending shivers down my spine.
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When the devil's doorbell rings, you know trouble is near!
Synonyms
259
2.9
A machine that makes a loud wailing sound to warn people
89
1.0
A device that makes a sound to get someone's attention
54
1.6
Something that shows there may be danger or a problem
10
8.7
A sign that something important, often bad, will happen
7
2.2
A bell that rings to warn people of danger or an emergency
5
3.2
A loud sound or flashing light that tells people there is danger
2
2.0
A bell that rings to warn people about a fire
1
3.7
A sign that something dangerous may happen
1
3.5
A sign that tells people about a possible problem
Antonyms
How Ominous
Surface Forms
Morphology
devil's + doorbell
The phrase combines 'devil' (associated with danger/evil) and 'doorbell' (a signal or alert), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer an ominous or foreboding signal. However, the meaning relies on metaphorical and cultural associations rather than a strictly compositional, predictable sense, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
The phrase devil's doorbell may come from a spooky image: imagine a bell at a door that rings when danger is near. People thought strange night sounds were like the devil's ringing of a doorbell, so the phrase now means a sound or signal that feels like a 'warning' of trouble.