alarm bell

A sudden warning or intimation of danger, risk, or ill fortune. (Often pluralized.) Alarm bells were going off in my head when I saw the panicked expression on her face. The new report set alarm bells ringing among the board members because it forecasts a large decrease in enrollment. A: "Her new boyfriend's anger management issues don't seem to be setting off an alarm bell for her." B: "Yikes, the situation is worse than I thought."

alarm bells start ringing

Some issue indicates that one should be concerned about a potentially greater problem or troubling situation. Alarm bells started ringing among the board members when sales continued to decline for the second straight If your date asks you to meet in a secluded place, alarm bells should start ringing. Alarm bells started ringing for me when I saw the panicked expression on her face.

alarm bells start to ring

Some issue indicates that one should be concerned about a potentially greater problem or troubling situation. Alarm bells started to ring among the board members when sales continued to decline for the second straight If your date asks you to meet in a secluded place, alarm bells should start to ring. Alarm bells started to ring for me when I saw the panicked expression on her face.

alarms and excursions

Frantic activity that causes a clamor. Often seen in Elizabethan drama as a stage direction denoting military activity. What on earth is going on? The alarms and excursions in the living room woke me from a sound sleep—keep it down! It's been nothing but alarms and excursions since the kids got here. That drop in the stock market is sure to set off alarms and excursions in international trading.

cause for alarm

A reason to be worried, frightened, or concerned about something. The X-ray showed a slight discoloration in my lungs, but my doctor assured me it was no cause for alarm. There was cause for alarm when we noticed our boss shredding all the files in her office. You don't know my kid, Officer. Not hearing from him in 24 hours is definitely a cause for alarm!

false alarm

A benign situation initially mistaken for an emergency. Mary thought she was going into labor, but it turned out to be a false alarm. When the smoke detectors started beeping, we thought the building was on fire, but it was just a false alarm caused by faulty wiring. Whenever the fire department comes to shut off a false alarm, you can always count on a few looky-loos hanging around the fire trucks.

five-alarm fire

1. A fire that is so large or intense that it requires the presence of many firefighting units to try to contain it. A five-alarm fire is the reason we heard all of those sirens last night. My goodness, how did that turn into a five-alarm fire so quickly? The entire building might burn down! Is it true that an arsonist was responsible for the five-alarm fire in Meadowbrook last week?

2. Someone or something that is very intense or stressful. Boy, this project has really become a five-alarm fire with all the other problems it's created. Barb in Finance just acts like everything is a five-alarm fire—don't let her stress you out. Oh man, if this assignment came down from the CEO, that means it's a five-alarm fire for us to deal with.

See also: fire

I don't want to alarm you, but

A phrase used before sharing bad news (which is stated after "but"). I don't want to alarm you, but the printer called about a few problems with our latest issue. I don't want to alarm you, but the dog has been limping around all day—I think we need to take him to the vet tonight. I don't want to alarm you, but the CEO is on the phone, and he wants to talk to you right now.

raise the alarm

1. Literally, to activate an alarm. I think I see smoke coming from the warehouse. Someone run upstairs and raise the alarm!

2. To alert other people about something dangerous, risky, or troublesome. A number of top economic advisors tried to raise the alarm before the economic crash, but no policy makers seemed to heed their warnings.

set alarm bells ringing

To cause concern due to being an indication that there is something wrong. The new report set alarm bells ringing among the board members because it forecasts a large decrease in enrollment. If your date asks you to meet in a secluded place, it should set alarm bells ringing.

set off a false alarm

1. To accidentally trigger an alarm. OK, folks, I just got word that somebody set off a false alarm, probably by using the emergency door in the back. Nothing to worry about.

2. To mistake a benign situation for an emergency. A doll set off a false alarm for local shoppers today, who thought that a baby had been left locked in a car in the grocery store parking lot in 95° heat.

set off alarm bells

To cause concern due to being an indication that there is something wrong. The new report set off alarm bells among the board members because it forecasts a large decrease in enrollment. If your date asks you to meet in a secluded place, it should set off alarm bells.

sound the alarm

1. Literally, to activate an alarm. I think I see smoke coming from the warehouse. Someone run upstairs and sound the alarm!

2. To alert other people about something dangerous, risky, or troublesome. A number of top economic advisors tried to sound the alarm before the economic crash, but no policy makers seemed to heed their warnings.

three-alarm fire

1. A fire that is so large or intense that it requires the presence of many firefighting units to try to contain it. A three-alarm fire is the reason we heard all of those sirens last night

2. Someone or something that is very intense or stressful. Boy, this project has really become a three-alarm fire with all the other problems it's created.

See also: fire

I don't want to alarm you, but

and I don't want to upset you, but

an expression used to introduce bad or shocking news or gossip. Bill: I don't want to alarm you, but I see someone prowling around your car. Mary: Oh, goodness! I'll call the police! Bob: I don't want to upset you, but I have some bad news. Tom: Let me have it.

false alarm

A warning signal that is groundless, made either by mistake or as a deliberate deception. For example, The rumor that we were all going to get fired was just a false alarm, or Setting off a false alarm is a criminal offense. This expression, first recorded in 1579, today is often used for a report of a nonexistent fire.

alarm bells start to ring

COMMON If alarm bells start to ring, you begin to be aware of a problem in a situation. It was when the headaches suddenly got a lot worse that alarm bells started to ring. Note: You can also say something sets alarm bells ringing, meaning that something makes you start to be aware of a problem. His absence from work for three days had set alarm bells ringing. Note: You can also say warning bells start to ring. He didn't understand the half of it but warning bells were starting to ring in the back of his mind. Note: You can also say something sets warning bells ringing meaning that something makes you start to be aware of a problem. There was something in the way she spoke that set warning bells ringing in Brak's head.

alarms and excursions

confused activity and uproar. humorous

Alarm was formerly spelled alarum , representing a pronunciation with a rolling of the ‘r’; the phrase was originally a call summoning soldiers to arms. The whole phrase is used in stage directions in Shakespeare to indicate a battle scene.

a false aˈlarm

a warning of something, especially something unpleasant or dangerous, which does not in fact happen: They thought the packet contained a bomb but it was a false alarm.

a three-alarm fire

and a five-alarm fire

n. someone or something very exciting. Work was a nightmare today. A five-alarm fire with crisis after crisis.

See also: fire

a five-alarm fire

verb

See a three-alarm fire

See also: fire

See also: