alarm

Compared meaning: sudden fear, shock or distress at unexpected news (noun).

比较义项：惊恐、惊愕等突然的不安或害怕的感觉（名词）。

• alarm 本词

  Alarm centers on sudden fear or anxiety triggered by a sense of danger or threat, often felt personally and instinctively rather than shared by a group.

  alarm 强调因察觉到危险或威胁而产生的突然恐惧或不安，通常是个人本能的感受，而不是群体共有的情绪。

  She felt a sudden alarm when she heard footsteps behind her in the dark.

  她在黑暗中听到身后的脚步声时，突然感到一阵惊恐。

• dismay

  Dismay describes shock combined with disappointment or discouragement, usually when a hoped-for outcome fails, and often appears in the set phrase 'to someone's dismay'.

  dismay 表示震惊与失望或沮丧交织的感觉，通常是希望的结果未能实现时产生，常用于固定搭配“to someone's dismay”。

  To her dismay, the bakery had sold its last loaf before she arrived.

  让她沮丧的是，面包店在她到达之前就把最后一条面包卖光了。

• consternation

  Consternation is a more formal word for the anxious confusion and shock a group feels in response to sudden, unexpected news, often used with 'cause' or 'in'.

  consternation 是较为正式的词，指对突发意外消息产生的焦虑、困惑与震惊，常与“cause”或“in”搭配使用，多用于描述群体的反应。

  The CEO's abrupt resignation caused consternation throughout the entire company.

  首席执行官突然辞职，让整个公司都陷入了惊愕与困惑。

Alarm, dismay and consternation all describe sudden distress at unexpected news. Alarm centers on fear caused by a sense of danger. Dismay combines shock with disappointment when a hoped-for result fails. Consternation is a formal word for a group's anxious confusion at sudden news.

这三个词都表示因意外情况而产生的强烈不安情绪，但语气和成因不同：alarm 偏重对危险的恐惧，dismay 偏重希望落空后的沮丧，consternation 偏重令人措手不及的惊愕与困惑。这里不比较 alarm 表示“警报器”的义项。