Questions tagged [onomatopoeia]

A word that phonetically imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes. Common occurrences of onomatopoeias include animal noises such as "oink", "meow", "roar" or "chirp", or human sounds like "yawn", "gulp" or "mwah".

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Sound for when duct tape is being pulled off of a roll [closed]

I am trying to find a specific term or onomatopoeia for when tape is being pulled off of a roll, to describe the sound it makes.
user481139's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
202 views

Established onomatopoeic word for sound of rolling chairs?

I attempted to search for an onomatopoeic word for a chair rolling the floor- such as an office chair across a tiled surface- but to no avail. All that comes is "scraping" and similar for ...
Rewan Demontay's user avatar
5 votes
6 answers
2k views

How would one describe a sound of boredom?

Specifically, if a person gave a heavy short and gruff sigh, and said. "I'm booooorrrrreeeeed!" then made a sound that kinda had "uuuugggghhhhh" in it but as more of a sigh. How ...
Hardin Origins's user avatar
1 vote
5 answers
629 views

What's the word for the sound, or the act of making the sound, we sometimes make when offended?

If someone offends someone, their immediate reaction is sometimes letting out a kind of unvoiced aspirated glottal plosive. I am not sure if that's the right term, but it feels plosive, aspirated and ...
user110391's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to spell the sound that a person makes when blowing through their mouth

What word should I use to indicate the sound that a person makes when blowing through their mouth (e.g they're blowing out a candle or blowing hot noodles before eating)?
hhhh's user avatar
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-1 votes
3 answers
2k views

Word for the noise made by a propeller airplane passing overhead?

What is the onomatopoeic word for the noise made by a small twin prop airplane passing overhead? For the story I'm writing, it's it's a small twin engine airplane flying nearby. So either a buzz nor ...
mycowan's user avatar
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0 answers
1k views

Onomatopoeia for click sound made with tongue and mouth?

This question asks what the sound made when clicking one's tongue (sometimes used to express ease or correctness) is called. A slightly different question: is there a specific onomatopoeic expression ...
stevec's user avatar
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1 answer
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Is the sentence onomatopoeia or simile? [closed]

“I’m letting the idea of hacking the robot go when we hear a buzz, like a delivery drone.”
user454129's user avatar
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0 answers
281 views

Which word to describe the sound of broken-up small ice shards in water?

I am trying to find the best word to describe the sound that a mass of small ice shards collected at the edges of a lake and moving in the waves make, after the ice has broken up? The sound is soft ...
user444154's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
159 views

What does a car sound like when it’s starting?

If you put your foot on the gas when starting the engine, it's definitely 'vroom'. Each increase in revs gets a vroom of it's own (three squeezes of the pedal, "vroom vroom vroom"). If I ...
Korey Clark's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
3k views

What sound (Onomatopoeia) does big lights shutting off sound like

I'm writing a story about a paranormal tornado and the story starts at a basketball game, but when the lights shut off and the warning sirens start, I don't know what sound effect (onomatopoeia) to ...
baby_yoda_121's user avatar
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0 answers
272 views

Onomatopoeia for the sound of something coming to a complete halt or fitting right in

There is a Japanese onomatopoeia "pita(ピタッ)" indicating something coming to a complete halt or fitting right in. What is an English equivalaent for this onomatopoeia? A few websites ...
Teruko Sato's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
145 views

What does the word "kzaar" mean?

On a YouTube video I have heard a speaker of American English accent in a gaming context saying the exclamation: Kzaaar! Does someone know what that means and how to spell it correctly? This is the ...
Francesco's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is 'Rumbling' an example of an onomatopoeia?

Is the word 'Rumbling' considered to be an example of onomatopoeia? I know that the word 'rumble' is an onomatopoeia, but I am not sure if that applies to 'rumbling' as well.
Sunchae Kim's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
85 views

Is "to go + (onomatopoeia)" a recognized pattern?

Multiple times I saw that "to go" is used with strange things, especially in memes: go brrr go woo to go boom But I don't see such scheme to be listed in a dictionary as phrasal verbs or ...
anonymous's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
49 views

What would be the correct formatting or rewording of the onomatopoeia "crunch-crunched"?

I am editing a historical fiction novel, and this clause has come up. As the Model T's wheels crunch-crunched their way up the gravel driveway... Is this clause grammatically correct? Should I use ...
S. Downs's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
92 views

What did "beep" mean in the 1800s? [closed]

According to Google Ngram Viewer the word "beep" was nearly as common in literature in the 1800s as it is today: Similar onomatopoeias such as "zap" and "honk" show almost zero usage back then. ...
Altay_H's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
2k views

How to spell what sounds like "ish" or "eesh"? [duplicate]

I've heard this word a lot of times, but still don't know how to write it down. It's used when you want to show some kind of disgust, or something like that. It sounds like "ish" or "eesh". I've ...
June's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Sound of gnawing a bone [closed]

I want the audience to be sure what was crunching was torn apart deer bones, not the crunch of the joint capsules of the old wolf, whenever it bent its knees to take another bite. What word or phrase ...
Przemyslaw Remin's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
9k views

Does "ook" as onomatopoeia for the sound a monkey makes originate with Terry Pratchett?

I just recently ran into someone making the claim that the use of "ook" to represent the sound a monkey makes is a reference to the librarian from the Unseen University of Terry Pratchett's Discworld ...
Sara J's user avatar
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2 answers
1k views

Are there any words describing normal breathing?

I am not sure but I can't find any words that describe normal calm breathing. Something that describes the exhale of a breath or blowing air out from your mouth. Not frantic or puffed breathing just ...
Chloe's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
816 views

What are interesting and evocative words for (disgusting) throat sounds? [closed]

Here is my passage for example: “Now I can hear him through the walls hucking and sniffing, expectorating and blowing all kinds of things in a grotesque, unconscious, unhealthy sounding manner.”...
Adam Dexter's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
443 views

Onomatopoeic words with repeated first syllable

I've come across a small number of onomatopoeic words whose first syllables repeat: borborygmus tintinnabulation ululation I was wondering is there is a word describing such words and if any of your ...
Teddy38's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
4k views

how can you describe the sound of rustling leaves [closed]

how can you describe the sound of rustling leaves in just one word. If you want to write what they can hear as if it is onomatopoeia. I do not want to write that he can hear rustling, I just want to ...
user330285's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
9k views

Onomatopoeia for coughing [duplicate]

As the title says! I am looking for an onomatopoeia for coughing, as in: "[sound]" he coughed violently, as if his lungs were ...etc Alternative suggestions are also gladly accepted :_ Thanks!
Equinox's user avatar
  • 171
0 votes
3 answers
3k views

Verb for when cats meow other than meow itself

If a dog barks "woof" (or some other variation) a frog croaks "ribbit" is there a verb for when cats "meow" other than "meow" itself? I am specifically looking for a word that is usually only ...
I should change my Username's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
4k views

Describing the sound of blood drops

I'm searching for a word describing the sound of blood drops falling on someone's shoulder. I found some describing the sound of liquids hitting a surface, such as tap, splat, and tuck. I was going ...
vanity's user avatar
  • 159
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

What does walking on wet pavement sound like?

I've had the word 'clicking' down for a while, but it truly doesn't capture what I'm trying to express. I have a very distinct sound in my head, but I just can't find the right word. I would just ...
Eliza S.'s user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
8k views

What's the sound of a starting car? [closed]

I've been looking trying to find an onomatopoeia for a car starting. I've tried to come up with it by making the sound myself, but I come up blank and quite frankly failed to mimicking the sound. It's ...
K. Lom's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
612 views

General verb for animal making sound

English language has different verbs for different species of animals making sound, many are onomatopoeias. But is there a general verb that can be applied to an unnamed animal? e.g., can I say "I ...
Tony Beta Lambda's user avatar
4 votes
6 answers
32k views

How to describe this metallic sound?

Link to the sound in question Another example of the sound I'm trying to write a sword fight scene where a swordsman is able to predict his opponent's next swing. And every time he does, he hears ...
raystackexacct's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
757 views

Does "clack" necessarily refer to sound?

I have a question about the verb clack in the following paragraph taken from Sandkings by George R. R. Martin. In this paragraph, the protagonist, Simon Kress, is being shown a strange kind of ...
aparente001's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
5k views

Is 'to suck your teeth' the same thing as saying 'tsk'? [duplicate]

I am inclined to think that 'to suck your teeth' is a possible description for the sound 'tsk'. Is there any good source to support (or dismiss) my assumption? By 'tsk' I mean the onomatopoeia for a ...
IanS's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
6k views

Is "shh" a word and why? [closed]

Is shh a word? If it is, why is it a word? If it is not, why isn't it a word?
Brett Reinhard's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

I need a definition of, usage and correct spelling of caplui

I may be spelling this wrong or this may be a poor version of the word but I am looking for the spelling and meaning of the word caploui I am trying to use it in a sentence like ' and all of a sudden,...
Stepheninsf's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
30k views

Onomatopoeia for disgust [duplicate]

Are there any English onomatopoeias for disgust / loathe? What exclamations are commonly used to express repulsion? Something that could be used like: (___) dog shit. I loathe it! (some sound here)...
jaboja's user avatar
  • 159
1 vote
2 answers
4k views

Single word to describe something that describes itself [duplicate]

For example orange - orange describes exactly what it is. I thought that the word was onomatopoeia but when I looked it up — it's described as sounds; e.g. bleat for lamb or miaow for cat. I was ...
Dawn Lock's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

a word for the sound a person makes when knocked down

Working on a scene where a character is repeatedly struck down by having objects thrown at her, starting the scene with the sound she would make after being hit with a ball made of solid ice.
Rebekah's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
918 views

How to write the sound of a pool break [closed]

I am trying to write the sound of a pool break. Something like "thwock", but I need some input to capture it best.
maudulus's user avatar
  • 121
3 votes
2 answers
13k views

how to write an onomatopoeia in a short story?

I'm writing a short story and I would like to know how to add an onomatopoeia in a sentence. Do I have to underline it? Can an onomatopoeia be a sentence on its own? Thank you for answering.
Paula's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
10k views

onomatopoeia for taking a deep breath before speaking

I'm writing a comic, and a character is about to ask another character for help, but it's taken her a lot of effort to be able to ask for help. So, before she finally asks she takes a deep breath and ...
C-Puff's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
411 views

When did animal sounds get codified?

Every kindergartner knows that a sheep says baa, a cow says moo, a cat says meow and a goat says maa. But this is just in English. In other languages, they say other things. When did animal sounds ...
Charles's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
15k views

Should I use speech marks for sounds? [duplicate]

If I were to describe a sudden sound, in this example: Boom! Were I to put it in speech marks: "Boom!" Just like in a dialogue, or to do something else, in that case what?
Fine-ish's user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
16k views

Onomatopoeia for a kettle [closed]

When the water is hot enough, what is the sound made by the kettle? Is Choo-choo correct ?
Supersharp's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
14k views

How do you show someone is crying in dialogue?

How do you show someone is crying in dialogue? (as in, is there an onomatopoeia that can show crying well? I ask because "(insert dialogue)..sniffle..(insert dialogue)..snifle..", does show that the ...
ChronicDreamer's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
22k views

onomatopoeia for the sound of spoons hitting on the plate when eating? [closed]

Is there any word to describe this? I have tried inging but not sure if that is the best word.
Pumpkinpeach's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
4k views

Where did "Pew! Pew!" come from?

To elaborate, I'm talking about the "sound effect" that people often make when imitating gunfire. Eg. "Pew! Pew! I shot you Billy, you're dead now!" I suppose this developed from the "Bang! Bang!"...
Ben's user avatar
  • 471
1 vote
2 answers
562 views

Interjection made in mockery to make someone jealous

I seem to remember there is an interjection used by children when they have something another kid doesn't as a way to make them jealous: it's something along the lines of nuh-nuh-nah-nuh-nah said in a ...
GaborS's user avatar
  • 19
2 votes
3 answers
2k views

Verb or phrase for "to make an onomatopoeia"

In the event that a common, recognized, and understood onomatopoeia for a sound does not already exist, how would you phrase the creation of an onomatopoeia for the sound? Essentially the word ...
RJ Cuthbertson's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
11k views

Sound of a zip fastener?

I was wondering, how would you best describe the sound a zip fastener makes when it's opened or closed slowly? You know, that "r-r-r-r-r" kind of sound? I thought about growling, but that feels too ...
User1291's user avatar
  • 160