Dictionary entry details
• SOUND (noun)
Meaning:
The particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Context examples:
the sound of rain on the roof / the beautiful sound of music
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
sound property (an attribute of sound)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sound"):
noisiness; racketiness (characterized by loud and constant noise)
ring (a characteristic sound)
unison ((music) two or more sounds or tones at the same pitch or in octaves)
voice (the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech)
Antonym:
silence (the absence of sound)
Meaning:
The subjective sensation of hearing something
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Synonyms:
auditory sensation; sound
Context example:
he strained to hear the faint sounds
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
aesthesis; esthesis; sensation; sense datum; sense experience; sense impression (an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sound"):
dissonance; noise; racket (the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience)
pure tone; tone (a steady sound without overtones)
music ((music) the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or reproductions of such sounds))
euphony; music (any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds)
Meaning:
Mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural phenomena
Context example:
falling trees make a sound in the forest even when no one is there to hear them
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
mechanical phenomenon (a physical phenomenon associated with the equilibrium or motion of objects)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sound"):
ultrasound (very high frequency sound; used in ultrasonography)
Meaning:
The sudden occurrence of an audible event
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural events
Context example:
the sound awakened them
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sound"):
susurration; susurrus (the indistinct sound of people whispering)
swish (a brushing or rustling sound)
tapping (the sound of light blow or knock)
throbbing (a sound with a strong rhythmic beat)
clump; clunk; thud; thump; thumping (a heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects))
thrum (a thrumming sound)
strum (sound of strumming)
song (a distinctive or characteristic sound)
skirl (the sound of (the chanter of) a bagpipe)
sigh (a sound like a person sighing)
drumbeat; rataplan; rub-a-dub (the sound made by beating a drum)
ring; ringing; tintinnabulation (the sound of a bell ringing)
quaver (a tremulous sound)
quack (the harsh sound of a duck)
thunk (a dull hollow sound)
tick; ticking (a metallic tapping sound)
zing (a brief high-pitched buzzing or humming sound)
whiz (a buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air)
whistle; whistling (the sound made by something moving rapidly or by steam coming out of a small aperture)
birr; whir; whirr; whirring (sound of something in rapid motion)
whack (the sound made by a sharp swift blow)
vroom (the roaring sound made by a motor that is running at high speed)
voice (a sound suggestive of a vocal utterance)
vibrato ((music) a pulsating effect in an instrumental or vocal tone produced by slight and rapid variations in pitch)
twang (a sharp vibrating sound (as of a plucked string))
trample; trampling (the sound of heavy treading or stomping)
tootle (the sound of casual playing on a musical instrument)
toot (a blast of a horn)
ting; tinkle (a light clear metallic sound as of a small bell)
zizz (a buzzing or whizzing sound)
bong (a dull resonant sound as of a bell)
drip; dripping (the sound of a liquid falling drop by drop)
ding (a ringing sound)
cry (the characteristic utterance of an animal)
clip-clop; clippety-clop; clop; clopping; clumping; clunking (the sound of a horse's hoofs hitting on a hard surface)
click-clack (a succession of clicks)
chorus (any utterance produced simultaneously by a group)
chirrup; twitter (a series of chirps)
chirp (a sharp sound made by small birds or insects)
chink; click; clink (a short light metallic sound)
bombilation; bombination; buzz (sound of rapid vibration)
bell; toll (the sound of a bell being struck)
beep; bleep (a short high tone produced as a signal or warning)
beat (the sound of stroke or blow)
drum (the sound of a drum)
footfall; footstep; step (the sound of a step of someone walking)
purr (a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat)
pop; popping (a sharp explosive sound as from a gunshot or drawing a cork)
plunk (a hollow twanging sound)
ping (a sharp high-pitched resonant sound (as of a sonar echo or a bullet striking metal))
peal; pealing; roll; rolling (a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells))
patter (a quick succession of light rapid sounds)
pat; rap; tap (the sound made by a gentle blow)
drum roll; paradiddle; roll (the sound of a drum (especially a snare drum) beaten rapidly and continuously)
noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))
murmur; murmuration; murmuring; mussitation; mutter; muttering (a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech)
knock; knocking (the sound of knocking (as on a door or in an engine or bearing))
jangle; jingle (a metallic sound)
gurgle (the bubbling sound of water flowing from a bottle with a narrow neck)
gargle (the sound produced while gargling)
Meaning:
The audible part of a transmitted signal
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
audio; sound
Context example:
they always raise the audio for commercials
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
auditory communication (communication that relies on hearing)
Holonyms ("sound" is a part of...):
telecasting; television; TV; video (broadcasting visual images of stationary or moving objects)
Meaning:
(phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
speech sound; phone; sound
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
language unit; linguistic unit (one of the natural units into which linguistic messages can be analyzed)
Domain category:
phonetics (the branch of acoustics concerned with speech processes including its production and perception and acoustic analysis)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sound"):
sonant; voiced sound (a speech sound accompanied by sound from the vocal cords)
orinasal; orinasal phone (a speech sound produced with both the oral and nasal passages open (as French nasal vowels))
consonant (a speech sound that is not a vowel)
glide; semivowel (a vowellike sound that serves as a consonant)
vowel; vowel sound (a speech sound made with the vocal tract open)
phoneme ((linguistics) one of a small set of speech sounds that are distinguished by the speakers of a particular language)
Holonyms ("sound" is a part of...):
utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)
Meaning:
A narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Synonyms:
strait; sound
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
channel (a deep and relatively narrow body of water (as in a river or a harbor or a strait linking two larger bodies) that allows the best passage for vessels)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sound"):
narrow (a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water)
Instance hyponyms:
Skagerak; Skagerrak (a broad strait of the North Sea between Jutland and Norway)
Solent (a strait of the English Channel between the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight)
Strait of Georgia (the strait separating Vancouver Island from the Canadian mainland)
Strait of Gibraltar (the strait between Spain and Africa)
Strait of Magellan (the strait separating South America from Tierra del Fuego and other islands south of the continent; discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520; an important route around South America before the Panama Canal was built)
Strait of Messina (the strait separating Sicily from the tip of Italy)
Pas de Calais; Strait of Calais; Strait of Dover (the strait between the English Channel and the North Sea; shortest distance between England and the European continent)
Torres Strait (a strait between northeastern Australia and southern New Guinea that connects the Coral Sea with the Arafura Sea)
Strait of Hormuz; Strait of Ormuz (a strategically important strait linking the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman)
North Channel (a strait between Northern Ireland and Scotland that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea)
Menai Strait (a strait in northern Wales between Anglesey Island and the mainland)
Canakkale Bogazi; Dardanelles; Hellespont (the strait between the Aegean and the Sea of Marmara that separates European Turkey from Asian Turkey)
East River (a tidal strait separating Manhattan and the Bronx from Queens and Brooklyn)
Bering Strait (a strait connecting the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean)
Bosporus (a strait connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea; separates the European and Asian parts of Turkey; an important shipping route)
Cook Strait (a narrow strait separating the North Island and South Island in New Zealand)
Golden Gate (a strait in western California that connects the San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean; discovered in 1579 by Sir Francis Drake)
Kattegatt (a strait of the North Sea between Jutland and Sweden; connects with the North Sea through the Skagerrak)
Korea Strait; Korean Strait (a strait between Korea and Japan; connects the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan)
Meaning:
A large ocean inlet or deep bay
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)
Context example:
the main body of the sound ran parallel to the coast
Hypernyms ("sound" is a kind of...):
body of water; water (the part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean))
Instance hyponyms:
Queen Charlotte Sound (an inlet of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia)
Puget Sound (an inlet of the North Pacific in northwestern Washington State)
Long Island Sound (a sound between Long Island and Connecticut)
• SOUND (adjective)
Meaning:
Financially secure and safe
Context examples:
sound investments / a sound economy
Similar:
stable (firm and dependable; subject to little fluctuation)
solid (financially sound)
healthy (financially secure and functioning well)
dependable; good; safe; secure (financially sound)
Also:
uninjured (not injured physically or mentally)
healthy (having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease)
fit; healthy (physically and mentally sound or healthy)
undamaged (not harmed or spoiled; sound)
unbroken (not broken; whole and intact; in one piece)
wholesome (conducive to or characteristic of physical or moral well-being)
Antonym:
unsound (not sound financially)
Meaning:
Exercising or showing good judgment
Synonyms:
levelheaded; level-headed; sound; intelligent; healthy
Context examples:
healthy scepticism / a healthy fear of rattlesnakes / the healthy attitude of French laws / healthy relations between labor and management / an intelligent solution / a sound approach to the problem / sound advice / no sound explanation for his decision
Similar:
reasonable; sensible (showing reason or sound judgment)
Meaning:
In good condition; free from defect or damage or decay
Context examples:
a sound timber / the wall is sound / a sound foundation
Similar:
solid; strong; substantial (of good quality and condition; solidly built)
Antonym:
unsound (not in good condition; damaged or decayed)
Meaning:
In excellent physical condition
Synonyms:
sound; good
Context examples:
good teeth / I still have one good leg / a sound mind in a sound body
Similar:
healthy (having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease)
Meaning:
Logically valid
Synonyms:
reasoned; well-grounded; sound
Context example:
a sound argument
Similar:
valid (well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force)
Meaning:
Having legal efficacy or force
Synonyms:
effectual; legal; sound
Context example:
a sound title to the property
Similar:
valid (well grounded in logic or truth or having legal force)
Meaning:
Free from moral defect
Context example:
a man of sound character
Similar:
righteous (characterized by or proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice)
Meaning:
(of sleep) deep and complete
Synonyms:
wakeless; profound; sound; heavy
Context examples:
a heavy sleep / fell into a profound sleep / a sound sleeper / deep wakeless sleep
Similar:
deep (relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply)
Meaning:
Thorough
Context example:
a sound thrashing
Similar:
complete (having every necessary or normal part or component or step)
• SOUND (verb)
Meaning:
Appear in a certain way
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Context example:
This sounds interesting
Hypernyms (to "sound" is one way to...):
appear; look; seem (give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s Adjective
Sentence example:
John will sound angry
Meaning:
Make a certain noise or sound
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Synonyms:
sound; go
Context examples:
She went 'Mmmmm' / The gun went 'bang'
Hypernyms (to "sound" is one way to...):
cause to be perceived (have perceptible qualities)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sound"):
knock; pink; rap; tap (make light, repeated taps on a surface)
patter; pitter-patter (make light, rapid and repeated sounds)
clop; clump; clunk; plunk (make or move along with a sound as of a horse's hooves striking the ground)
thud; thump (make a dull sound)
echo; resound; reverberate; ring (ring or echo with sound)
whistle (make whistling sounds)
beep; blare; claxon; honk; toot (make a loud noise)
crack (make a very sharp explosive sound)
crack; snap (make a sharp sound)
rustle (make a dry crackling sound)
chime (emit a sound)
bombilate; bombinate; buzz (make a buzzing sound)
click; tick (make a clicking or ticking sound)
chatter; click (click repeatedly or uncontrollably)
pop (make a sharp explosive noise)
birr; purr; whir; whirr; whiz; whizz (make a soft swishing sound)
drone (make a monotonous low dull sound)
lap; swish; swoosh; swosh (move with or cause to move with a whistling or hissing sound)
babble; bubble; burble; guggle; gurgle; ripple (flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise)
bang (to produce a sharp often metallic explosive or percussive sound)
boom; din (make a resonant sound, like artillery)
grumble; rumble (make a low noise)
bleep (emit a single short high-pitched signal)
hum; thrum (sound with a monotonous hum)
slosh; slush; splash; splosh (make a splashing sound)
chink; clink; tink; tinkle (make or emit a high sound)
roll (emit, produce, or utter with a deep prolonged reverberating sound)
peal; ring (sound loudly and sonorously)
chug (make a dull, explosive sound)
beat; drum; thrum (make a rhythmic sound)
boom; boom out (make a deep hollow sound)
clangor; clangour (make a loud resonant noise)
clank (make a clank)
clang; clangor (make a loud noise)
twang (sound with a twang)
splat (give off the sound of a bullet flattening on impact)
make noise; noise; resound (emit a noise)
ting (make a light, metallic sound; go 'ting')
blow (make a sound as if blown)
sing; whistle (make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound)
snarl (make a snarling noise or move with a snarling noise)
rattle (make short successive sounds)
beat; tick; ticktack; ticktock (make a sound like a clock or a timer)
squelch (make a sucking sound)
trump (produce a sound as if from a trumpet)
knock; ping; pink (sound like a car engine that is firing too early)
ping (make a short high-pitched sound)
guggle (make a sound like a liquid that is being poured from a bottle)
whish (make a sibilant sound)
blow (sound by having air expelled through a tube)
resonate; vibrate (sound with resonance)
tweet; twirp (make a weak, chirping sound)
skirl (make a shrill, wailing sound)
gurgle (make sounds similar to gurgling water)
glug (make a gurgling sound as of liquid issuing from a bottle)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s Adjective
Sentence example:
The woods sound with many kinds of birds
Meaning:
Give off a certain sound or sounds
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Context example:
This record sounds scratchy
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sound"):
speak (make a characteristic or natural sound)
pierce (sound sharply or shrilly)
dissonate (be dissonant or harsh)
play (emit recorded sound)
cackel (make a cackling sound)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s Adjective/Noun
Somebody ----s Adjective
Meaning:
Announce by means of a sound
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Context example:
sound the alarm
Hypernyms (to "sound" is one way to...):
announce; denote (make known; make an announcement)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Utter with vibrating vocal chords
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
vocalize; voice; vocalise; sound
Hypernyms (to "sound" is one way to...):
articulate; enounce; enunciate; pronounce; say; sound out (speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sound"):
chirk (make a shrill creaking, squeaking, or noise, as of a door, mouse, or bird)
quaver; waver (give off unsteady sounds, alternating in amplitude or frequency)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Meaning:
Cause to sound
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Context examples:
sound the bell / sound a certain note
Cause:
go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "sound"):
pop (cause to make a sharp explosive sound)
knell; ring (make (bells) ring, often for the purposes of musical edification)
strum; thrum (sound the strings of (a string instrument))
ting (cause to make a ting)
gong (sound a gong)
prepare (lead up to and soften by sounding the dissonant note in it as a consonant note in the preceding chord)
twang (cause to sound with a twang)
blow (play or sound a wind instrument)
play (perform music on (a musical instrument))
clink (make a high sound typical of glass)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Also:
sound off (start playing)
Meaning:
Measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Synonyms:
fathom; sound
Hypernyms (to "sound" is one way to...):
measure; quantify (express as a number or measure or quantity)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
