onomatopoeia
Americannoun
-
the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.
-
a word so formed.
-
the use of imitative and naturally suggestive words for rhetorical, dramatic, or poetic effect.
noun
-
the formation of words whose sound is imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated, such as hiss, buzz, and bang
-
the use of such words for poetic or rhetorical effect
Usage
What is onomatopoeia? An onomatopoeia is the forming of a word by imitating the sound the word is referring to, as in bang, meaning “a loud, explosive sound,” and meow, meaning “the sound a cat makes.”The words themselves are also known as onomatopoeias. Many commonly used words are onomatopoeias. Onomatopoeias are used to give a sense of action or intensity to writing or drawings.
Other Word Forms
- onomatopoeic adjective
- onomatopoeically adverb
- onomatopoetic adjective
- onomatopoetically adverb
Etymology
Origin of onomatopoeia
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiía “making of words,” from onomato- (stem of ónoma “name”) + poi- (stem of poieîn “to make”) + -ia -ia; -onym, poet
Explanation
Boom! Bang! Crash! When a word is formed from the sound that an associated thing makes, call it an example of onomatopoeia. In Greek, onomatopoeia (on-uh-mah-tuh-PEE-ah) simply means "word-making," but in English it refers to a very specific process of word-making: an attempt to capture the sound of something. Examples of onomatopoeia in English include burble, buzz, slosh, ratatat, and thud. Words created by onomatopoeia can seem totally natural, but they can be surprisingly different from language to language: in Japanese, dogs say wan wan, but in Greek they say gav gav.
Vocabulary lists containing onomatopoeia
Some Helpful Poetry Terms
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Poetry: Literary Devices
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Churchill’s use of alliteration, onomatopoeia and other devices served him as tools to fix “on paper the sound of the human voice,” Mr. Stiles writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
Known online as the "Hawk Tuah girl", Ms Welch went viral after speaking the onomatopoeia "hawk tuah" - imitating the sound of someone spitting - during an interview in June.
From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024
Because there is no onomatopoeia that could distill the noises this animal makes.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 19, 2023
The bullet is a grim onomatopoeia for itself.
From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2021
An even more challenging and creative way to use body percussion is to create onomatopoeia in accordance with the lyrics, mimicking or relating to the sounds presented in the rhyme.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
