to ring a warning bell
- idiom
- Informal
:
dar la voz de alarma
- The sudden drop in profits rang a warning bell for the company's investors.
Examples
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When I noticed the outdated fire equipment, it rang a warning bell in my mind.
-
The sudden drop in sales rang a warning bell for the management.
-
The surgeon's hesitation rang a warning bell for the patient.
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Don't you think this situation should ring a warning bell?
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The sudden drop in profits rang a warning bell for the company's investors.
-
The surgeon's hesitation rang a warning bell for the patient.
-
When I noticed the outdated fire equipment, it rang a warning bell in my mind.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Tell someone about possible danger so they can be careful
255
2.3
To warn someone about a possible danger or problem
133
1.9
To make someone feel afraid or worried about possible danger
92
3.0
To warn someone about danger or problems
14
4.8
Tell someone about possible danger before it happens
4
7.7
To say that something bad might happen
3
4.6
To signal that there may be a problem or danger
1
4.2
To tell people about a possible danger before it happens
To warn people about a possible danger or serious problem
Antonyms
How Alarming
- Informal
1
4.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase can be directly inferred from the constituents: a 'warning bell' is a device that signals danger and 'ring' means to make it sound, so 'ring a warning bell' straightforwardly means to cause alarm or concern. This composition follows a common, cross-linguistic metaphor (an alarm signaling danger), so a B1 learner who knows the component words would very likely infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The phrase ring a warning bell comes from the image of a bell that people would ring to warn others about danger, so everyone would pay attention. So, when something rings a warning bell, it makes you 'feel concern' or 'suspect there may be a problem'.