alarm

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /əˈlɑːm/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /əˈlɑrm/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Singular alarm

Plural alarms

A fire alarm

An alarm clock

1. (countable) An alarm is a signal that something needs attention or a machine that makes the signal.

   I wake up, without an alarm clock, at seven or eight a.m.

   People in the restaurant ran out the emergency exit, sounding the alarm.

   The safety system was known to be defective and had frequently sent out false alarms.

   The hotel did not have fire alarms or a sprinkler system.

   A fire in the fry pan set off the smoke alarm.

2. (uncountable) Alarm is a feeling of worry or fear.

   They watched with some alarm as the speeding car got closer.

   This is completely natural and no cause for alarm.

Synonyms

• worry
• fear

Related words

• alarmed
• alarming
• alarmingly
• alarmist

Verb

Plain form alarm

Third-person singular alarms

Past tense alarmed

Past participle alarmed

Present participle alarming

1. (transitive) If you alarm someone, you make them feel worried or scared.

   The school was alarmed by the number of children failing math.