on the alert

on the a·lert

O o

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [on, awn stressed th ee uh-lurt]
- /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði əˈlɜrt/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [on, awn stressed th ee uh-lurt]
- /ɒn, ɔn stressed ði əˈlɜrt/

Definitions of on the alert words

adjective on the alert fully aware and attentive; wide-awake; keen: an alert mind. 1
adjective on the alert swift; agile; nimble. 1
noun on the alert an attitude of vigilance, readiness, or caution, as before an expected attack. 1
noun on the alert a warning or alarm of an impending military attack, a storm, etc.: We'd just boarded the bus when the alert sounded. 1
noun on the alert the period during which such a warning or alarm is in effect. 1
verb with object on the alert to warn (troops, ships, etc.) to prepare for action. 1

See all 13 definitions of on the alert

Information block about the term

Origin of on the alert

First appearance:

before 1590

One of the 37% oldest English words

1590-1600; 1940-45 for def 4; < Italian all'erta, equivalent to all(a) to, on the + erta lookout, watchtower, orig. feminine of erto, past participle of ergere < Latin ērigere to erect

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for On the alert

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of On the alert

on the alert popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

on the alert usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for on the alert

adj on the alert

insomniac — a person who suffers from insomnia, the inability, especially when chronic, to obtain sufficient sleep, through difficulty in falling or staying asleep: Her husband, an insomniac, had at last fallen asleep at the computer, head resting on the keyboard.

adjective on the alert

alert — If you are alert, you are paying full attention to things around you and are able to deal with anything that might happen.
insomnious — (archaic) restless; sleepless.
wakeful — unable to sleep; not sleeping; indisposed to sleep: Excitement made the children wakeful.

All 4 Synonyms of on the alert