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- pronunciation:
luhrt
- parts of speech:
- adjective, noun, verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective, noun, verb), Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition: |
watching carefully; quick to notice and act.
The alert driver avoided a hole in the road.
- synonyms:
- attentive, keen, ready, sharp
- antonyms:
- faraway
- similar words:
- agile, astir, awake, aware, on guard, on the ball, quick, swift, vigilant, watchful
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| related words: |
careful, close, conscious, prompt, ready, smart, wary |
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| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
a warning of possible danger or the time during which such a warning lasts.
We stayed in the basement until the tornado alert was over.- synonyms:
- alarm, signal, warning
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| related words: |
alarm, beacon, caution |
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| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
alerts, alerting, alerted |
| definition: |
to warn or make aware.
The police alerted the town that a tiger had escaped from the zoo.- synonyms:
- notify, warm
- similar words:
- inform, tell, warn
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| related words: |
caution, notify |
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| derivations: |
alertly (adv.), alertness (n.) |
The English word alert comes from a l'erte, an early French phrase that means "on guard" or "on the watch." This French phrase came from an Italian military phrase, all'erta. Erta means "a high or raised place," such as a hilltop or tower soldiers might use to see the enemy coming from a distance. All'erta meant "standing on the high tower."
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