alarm

alarm — noun

1. a sound, light, or similar signal that tells people there may be danger or a ser

1.名詞B1
釋義

a sound, light, or similar signal that tells people there may be danger or a serious problem.

例句

A loud alarm echoed through the station after someone left a bag behind.

alarm + location after a danger trigger

At midnight, the alarm sounded and every guest ran into the hotel car park.

an alarm sounded

同義詞
  • warning

    broader; can be spoken or written, not only a signal

  • alert

    often used for a warning message or state of readiness

  • siren

    specifically a loud warning sound, often from emergency equipment

反義詞
  • all-clear

    a signal showing the danger has passed

文法句型

an alarm sounds

hear an alarm

false alarm

用法筆記

Common with verbs like 'sound', 'hear', 'ignore', and 'trigger'. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 is the warning itself, while sense 2 is the machine that produces it.

常見錯誤

❌The alarm opened and everybody ran out.
✅The alarm went off and everybody ran out.
💡English says an alarm 'goes off' or 'sounds'.

2. a piece of equipment that is made to give a warning signal when something is wro

2.名詞B1
釋義

a piece of equipment that is made to give a warning signal when something is wrong or unsafe.

例句

The jeweller installed an alarm above the back window after two break-ins.

install an alarm

A silent alarm under the counter brought police to the bank.

silent alarm

同義詞
  • security system

    broader; may include cameras and locks as well as alarms

  • detector

    focuses on sensing smoke, gas, or movement, not the full warning device

文法句型

install an alarm

house alarm

car alarm

用法筆記

Often modified by a noun naming the danger or place, such as 'burglar alarm', 'fire alarm', or 'car alarm'. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'alarm' means the device, not the noise or light people notice.

常見錯誤

❌We put an alarm to the house last week.
✅We put an alarm in the house last week.
💡use 'in' or 'on' for the place where the device is fitted.

3. a clock that you arrange to ring at a chosen time so it wakes you up.

3.名詞A2
釋義

a clock that you arrange to ring at a chosen time so it wakes you up.

例句

Mina set her alarm for five-thirty before the sunrise hike.

set an alarm for + time

The alarm beside Ken's bed rang long before the first bus.

同義詞
  • alarm clock

    full form; more explicit than the shortened 'alarm'

  • clock radio

    a type of alarm clock with a radio built in

文法句型

set an alarm for + time

turn off the alarm

用法筆記

In everyday speech, people often say only 'alarm' instead of 'alarm clock'. Distinguish from sense 4: sense 3 is a separate clock by your bed, while sense 4 is a timed sound on another device such as a phone or watch.

常見錯誤

❌I opened my alarm for six.
✅I set my alarm for six.
💡English says you 'set' an alarm, not 'open' one.

4. a sound on a phone, watch, computer, or similar device that you program to go of

4.名詞B1
釋義

a sound on a phone, watch, computer, or similar device that you program to go off later.

例句

Luca set a ten-minute alarm on his phone before the noodles boiled over.

set an alarm on + device

My watch alarm buzzed quietly during the meeting, and only I heard it.

watch alarm

同義詞
  • reminder

    broader; may be silent or shown as a message, not only a sound

  • timer

    counts a period of time rather than waking or reminding you at a clock time

文法句型

set an alarm on + device

phone alarm

watch alarm

用法筆記

Common with 'set' and with 'on' plus the device name. Distinguish from sense 3: sense 4 is a feature on another piece of electronics, not a separate clock made mainly for waking you up.

常見錯誤

❌My phone has an alarm clock at seven.
✅My phone has an alarm set for seven.
💡on a phone or watch, 'alarm' usually names the timed reminder feature.

5. a sudden feeling of fear and worry when people think serious trouble may already

5.名詞C2
釋義

a sudden feeling of fear and worry when people think serious trouble may already be starting.

例句

A wave of alarm spread through the crowd when the bridge began to shake.

a wave of alarm

Jo's voice rose in alarm as the toddler ran toward the road.

in alarm

同義詞
  • fear

    broader and more general; not necessarily sudden

  • panic

    stronger; suggests loss of control

  • concern

    weaker; can lack the element of fear

反義詞

文法句型

in alarm

to someone's alarm

with alarm

用法筆記

Often appears in set patterns such as 'in alarm', 'with alarm', and especially 'to my/his/her alarm'. Distinguish from sense 1, which names an external warning signal rather than the feeling inside a person or group.

常見錯誤

❌I was in alarm when the dog disappeared.
✅I was alarmed when the dog disappeared.
💡for a person's feeling, English more often uses the adjective 'alarmed'; the noun appears mainly in fixed phrases.

6. in North American fire reports, a label showing how much emergency help a fire n

6.名詞C2
釋義

in North American fire reports, a label showing how much emergency help a fire needs, with one alarm as the lowest level.

例句

The warehouse blaze became a three-alarm fire before dawn.

number + alarm + fire

Local radio said the apartment fire stayed at one alarm.

stay at one alarm

同義詞
  • fire level

    plain explanatory term for the severity rating of a fire

  • alarm rating

    general label for the same graded scale in reporting

文法句型

one-alarm fire

two-alarm fire

three-alarm fire

用法筆記

Used mainly in North American news and emergency reporting. Usually follows a number and most often appears before the noun 'fire'. Distinguish from sense 6, which uses the same pattern figuratively for other kinds of trouble.

常見錯誤

❌It was a three alarms fire.
✅It was a three-alarm fire.
💡before 'fire', the number phrase stays singular and takes a hyphen.

7. a troublesome situation described with the fire-rating pattern to show how serio

7.名詞C2
釋義

a troublesome situation described with the fire-rating pattern to show how serious it is.

例句

When the singer vanished, the booking mess became a five-alarm crisis.

figurative number + alarm + crisis

Dad called the leaking roof a two-alarm problem after the rainstorm.

同義詞
  • crisis

    more direct and neutral; does not carry the graded fire metaphor

  • emergency

    suggests urgent action is needed, but not the numbered scale

反義詞
  • minor issue

    a problem too small to need urgent attention

文法句型

three-alarm crisis

five-alarm problem

one-alarm headache

用法筆記

This is an informal figurative extension of sense 5. It usually comes before nouns like 'crisis', 'problem', 'mess', or 'headache', rather than standing alone.

常見錯誤

❌The meeting was three alarms.
✅The meeting turned into a three-alarm problem.
💡this pattern usually modifies another noun naming the situation.

alarm — verb

alarm — idiom