Word
alert
Meanings
quick to notice things; attentive and ready to respond
a warning or message that draws attention to a possible problem or important information
to warn someone or make them aware of something
Definition
Alert means quick to notice and respond to things happening around you.
When you are alert, you are awake, attentive, and ready to react. It often describes someone who notices details quickly and stays aware of possible changes or risks. As a noun, an alert can also be a warning message that tells people to pay attention to a situation.
Examples
- After a full night’s sleep, I felt alert enough to spot small errors in the report.
- If you stay alert on the platform, you can avoid stepping too close to the edge when the train arrives.
- She became alert the moment she heard footsteps behind her in the empty corridor.
- They issued an alert to staff when the server room temperature started rising unexpectedly.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse alert (attentive) with awake (not sleeping), but someone can be awake without being alert.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.