alarmist

[ uh-lahr-mist ]

noun

1. a person who tends to raise alarms, especially without sufficient reason, as by exaggerating dangers or prophesying calamities.

adjective

1. of or like an alarmist.

alarmist

/ əˈlɑːmɪst /

noun

1. a person who alarms or attempts to alarm others needlessly or without due grounds
2. a person who is easily alarmed

adjective

1. characteristic of an alarmist

Derived Forms

• aˈlarmism, noun

Other Words From

• a·larmism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of alarmist¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; alarm + -ist

Example Sentences

Rahman viewed the election day results as a sign of a panicky electorate that was hammered with alarmist rhetoric about violence and thefts for months.

From Los Angeles Times

In any case, nothing about the party’s exhausting, alarmist messaging or its murky self-image is going to change dramatically in the last week before a do-or-die national election.

From Salon

Again, in this part of the country, I would hope that my credibility built up over 27 years on Philadelphia television that people know that I'm not an extremist or alarmist.

From Salon

“Crisis is a good word. I try not to be alarmist, but crisis is what people are feeling.”

From BBC

Some critics say Guterres, which such alarmist speeches, puts too much a focus on stirring emotions than focusing on science that lays out the actual threat.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• pessimist