alarm Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun fear resulting from the awareness of danger
    dismay; consternation.
  2. noun a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event
    alarm system; warning device.
  3. noun an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger
    warning signal; alarum; alert.
  4. noun a clock that wakes a sleeper at some preset time
    alarm clock.
  5. verb fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised
    horrify; dismay; appall; appal.
    • I was horrified at the thought of being late for my interview
    • The news of the executions horrified us
  6. verb warn or arouse to a sense of danger or call to a state of preparedness
    alert.
    • The empty house alarmed him
    • We alerted the new neighbors to the high rate of burglaries

WordNet

A*larm" noun
Etymology
F. alarme, It. all' arme to arms ! fr. L. arma, pl., arms. See Arms, and cf. Alarum.
Definitions
  1. A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
    Arming to answer in a night alarm. Shak.
  2. Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warming sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.
    Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Joel ii. 1.
  3. A sudden attack; disturbance; broil. R. "These home alarms." Shak.
    Thy palace fill with insults and alarms. Pope.
  4. Sudden surprise with fear or terror excited by apprehension of danger; in the military use, commonly, sudden apprehension of being attacked by surprise.
    Alarm and resentment spread throughout the camp. Macaulay.
  5. A mechanical contrivance for awaking persons from sleep, or rousing their attention; an alarum. Syn. -- Fright; affright; terror; trepidation; apprehension; consternation; dismay; agitation; disquiet; disquietude. -- Alarm, Fright, Terror, Consternation. These words express different degrees of fear at the approach of danger. Fright is fear suddenly excited, producing confusion of the senses, and hence it is unreflecting. Alarm is the hurried agitation of feeling which springs from a sense of immediate and extreme exposure. Terror is agitating and excessive fear, which usually benumbs the faculties. Consternation is overwhelming fear, and carries a notion of powerlessness and amazement. Alarm agitates the feelings; terror disorders the understanding and affects the will; fright seizes on and confuses the sense; consternation takes possession of the soul, and subdues its faculties. See Apprehension.
A*larm" transitive verb
Etymology
Alarm, n. Cf. F. alarmer.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Alarmed present participle & verbal noun Alarming
Definitions
  1. To call to arms for defense; to give notice to (any one) of approaching danger; to rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert.
  2. To keep in excitement; to disturb.
  3. To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear.
    Alarmed by rumors of military preparation. Macaulay.

Webster 1913