If you’re searching online for information on how to describe an alarm going off in writing, you can stop your search. This post will help you. We’ve included 10 words below that will get you started off.
1. Jolting
Definition
- Disturbing to a state of being.
- Quick shock or blow.
Examples
“The alarm jolted me from my deep sleep.”
“The dog jumped at the jolting car alarm going off as it walked by.”
How it Adds Description
Jolting is a visceral word; it describes a reactive shoving movement from something unexpected. Jolting would be a good word to show how an unexpected alarm surprising a character or if the alarm is disturbing their quiet or peaceful state.
2. Beeping
Definition
Piercing sound used to attract attention, often for warnings.
Examples
“The building’s hallways were filled with the beeping of the alarm and its flashing red lights.”
“We used the loud beeping of the car alarm to help us find our way through the labyrinthine backstreets of downtown.”
How it Adds Description
Alarms can have many sounds, so using an onomatopoeia such as beeping gives the reader a very specific sound for the alarm. Because beeping is a high-pitched sound, as well, using it can create an atmosphere of annoyance and urgency for the characters to find the alarm so they can turn it off.
3. Blaring
Definition
Overly loud, often with force and power, echoing over other sounds.
Examples
“The car alarm sat blaring from 3am until dawn crept over the horizon.”
“The tornado alarm blared its warning to the entire town.”
How it Adds Description
Sometimes you want to show just how loud an alarm is; use blaring to suggest it echoes across a large or quiet space. The alarm is so loud that no other sound can compete with it and will be drowned out by its power and pitch. Blaring is especially good for those alarms that are meant as a warning or intended to interrupt someone’s sleep or attention.
4. Echoing
Definition
- A sound repeating through an empty space, caused by bouncing off walls or other flat surfaces.
- Repeating or imitation of a sound or spoken phrase.
Examples
“The intruder alarm echoed throughout the empty house; there was nobody left to answer it.”
“As soon as he broke the glass, the security alarm echoed down the street; someone was bound to notice soon enough.”
How it Adds Description
Echoing is a good word if you have an alarm sounding in an abandoned environment, like in post-apocalyptic or horror stories when all the people have gone. Echoing alarms are inherently creepy because they often highlight that there is nobody around to turn them off like there should be.
5. Whooping
Definition
- Give an animal-like cry.
- Shout with a sound of excitement or joy.
Examples
“The whooping of the fire alarm sounded throughout the office building.”
“You can’t mistake the whooping fire alarm with the beeping tornado warning.”
How it Adds Description
Another onomatopoeia, whooping describes for your reader exactly what sound the alarm is making. Whooping implies that the sound is like that of a bird, like one a hunter might make with a duck call.
6. Shrieking
Definition
A high-pitched sound, often in sadness, surprise, or fear.
Examples
“The intruder alarm shrieked as soon as she opened the door.”
“What I wouldn’t give to find that shrieking car alarm and disconnect its battery.”
How it Adds Description
While usually connected to fear, describing a sound as shrieking not only shows that the sound is loud. It also suggests that it’s so high-pitched, it actually physically hurts those who can hear it (which is why being so loud and high-pitched is effective).
7. Ringing
Definition
- A strong, clear sound.
- Similar to the sound of a bell.
Examples
“The alarm rang throughout the empty school halls; he hadn’t considered the school would have security.”
“It wasn’t the gas she noticed first but the ringing of the alarm that said notified everyone to leave the building.”
How it Adds Description
Because alarms used to be made from bells, ringing is one of the most common ways to describe an alarm going off. Readers will know exactly what kind of sound the alarm is making and can imagine how the scene must sound to the characters in it.
8. Incessant
Definition
Continuous, unceasing to an almost annoying or frustrating extent.
Examples
“He threw everything within arm’s reach at his clock but the incessant alarm would not turn off.”
“The car alarm was incessant; no matter how hard she tried to turn it off, it ended up waking everybody on the street in the middle of the night.”
How it Adds Description
Everybody hates an alarm that doesn’t go off; it’s the reason why alarms are so effective at getting our attention or waking us from a dead sleep. Incessant is the word you want to use to immediately suggest to the reader that this is one of those alarms that will not stop until someone actively does so.
9. Quiet
Definition
- Soft or low in sound.
- Undisturbed.
Examples
“He used the quiet sound of the alarm going off to locate his phone under the pillow.”
“It wasn’t until she had opened the door that she heard the quiet window alarm going off at the back the house; how useless was that?!”
How it Adds Description
Alarms malfunction all the time due to batteries dying or faulty wiring; this can sometimes result in a lower volume alarm. Using quiet to show nobody noticing the alarm going off is especially useful if the alarm not sounding appropriately causes something bad to happen or helps move forward the plot.
10. Rhythmic
Definition
Following or emitting a song-like sound; musical.
Examples
“The soft, rhythmic alarm on her phone blended seamlessly with her dream.”
“The alarm had been going off for so long it had become almost rhythmic and could be easily tuned out.”
How it Adds Description
Alarms don’t always have to be annoying sounds. Clock alarms have long been programmed to turn on the radio, and phone alarms can be programmed with particular sounds or songs instead of general alarms. Using rhythmic to describe an alarm allows the reader to imagine a different kind of alarm sounding, rather than the usual beeping or ringing they normally would.