Alarmists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who frequently sound warnings about possible disasters or dangers for emphasis
2. Individuals who often stir anxiety by emphasizing exaggerated potential threats or crises
3. People who persistently warn others about possible hazards or emergencies

Etymology: "Alarmists" is the plural of "alarmist," formed by adding the suffix "-ist" to "alarm." The base word "alarm" came into English from Old French "alarme," which in turn came from Italian "all'arme," meaning "to arms" or "to the weapons," a call to soldiers to take up their positions. So the root meaning is a military summons, and the sense of a sudden warning of danger grew out of that. The suffix "-ist" has a long pedigree of its own. It passed from ancient Greek "-istēs," used for people who practise or follow something, through Latin "-ista," into Old French and then Middle English. Attaching it to "alarm" produced a label for someone who habitually sounds the alarm, whether or not the danger is real.

Synonyms: doomsayers, pessimists, prophets of doom, fearmongers, catastrophists

Antonyms: optimists, realists, hopefuls, cheerleaders, believers