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Alarm vs Appall - What's the difference?

alarm | appall | Related terms |

Alarm is a related term of appall.


As a noun alarm

is alert, alarm.

As a verb appall is

to depress or discourage with fear; to impress with fear in such a manner that the mind shrinks, or loses its firmness; to inundate with sudden terror or horror; to dismay.

alarm

English

Alternative forms

* alarum

Noun

  • A summons to arms, as on the approach of an enemy.
    • ''Arming to answer in a night alarm . --Shakespeare.
  • Any sound or information intended to give notice of approaching danger; a warning sound to arouse attention; a warning of danger.
    • ''Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. --Joel ii. 1.
  • A sudden attack; disturbance.
  • * Shakespeare
    • these home alarms
  • * Alexander Pope
    • thy palace fill with insults and alarms
  • 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. --.
  • A mechanical device for awaking people, or rousing their attention.
    • ''The clockradio is a friendlier version of the cold alarm by the bedside
  • An instance of an alarum ringing or clanging, to give a noise signal at a certain time.
    • ''You should set the alarm on your watch to go off at seven o'clock.

    Related terms

    * alarm bell * alarm clock * alarm reaction * fire alarm * raise the alarm

    See also

    * tocsin

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To call to arms for defense
  • To give (someone) notice of approaching danger
  • To rouse to vigilance and action; to put on the alert.
  • To surprise with apprehension of danger; to fill with anxiety in regard to threatening evil; to excite with sudden fear.
  • To keep in excitement; to disturb.

    • Related terms

    * alarming * alarmist

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    appall

    English

    Alternative forms

    * appal (occasionally in Commonwealth English)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To depress or discourage with fear; to impress with fear in such a manner that the mind shrinks, or loses its firmness; to inundate with sudden terror or horror; to dismay.
    • The sight appalled the stoutest heart.
  • * Edward Hyde Claredon
    • The house of peers was somewhat appalled at this alarum.
  • (obsolete) To make pale; to blanch.
  • * Wyatt
    • The answer that ye made to me, my dear, / Hath so appalled my countenance.
  • (obsolete) To weaken; to enfeeble; to reduce.
  • * Holland
    • Wine, of its own nature, will not congeal and freeze, only it will lose the strength, and become appalled in extremity of cold.
  • (obsolete) To grow faint; to become weak; to become dismayed or discouraged.
    • (Gower)
  • (obsolete) To lose flavour or become stale.

    • Synonyms

    * dismay, terrify, daunt, frighten, affright, scare, depress * See also