gong

American  

[gawng, gong] / gɔŋ, gɒŋ /

noun

1. a large bronze disk, of Asian origin, having an upturned rim, that produces a vibrant, hollow tone when struck, usually with a stick or hammer that has a padded head.

2. a shallow bell sounded by a hammer operated electrically or mechanically.

   The fire-alarm system will automatically sound the gong.

3. (in a clock or watch) a rod or wire, either straight or bent into a spiral, on which the time is struck.

4. British Slang. a medal or military decoration.

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verb (used without object)

1. to sound as a gong does; ring, chime, or reverberate.

gong British  

/ ɡɒŋ /

noun

1. Also called: tam-tam.  a percussion instrument of indefinite pitch, consisting of a metal platelike disc struck with a soft-headed drumstick

2. a rimmed metal disc, hollow metal hemisphere, or metal strip, tube, or wire that produces a note when struck. It may be used to give alarm signals when operated electromagnetically

3. a fixed saucer-shaped bell, as on an alarm clock, struck by a mechanically operated hammer

4. slang a medal, esp a military one

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verb

1. (intr) to sound a gong

2. (tr) (of traffic police) to summon (a driver) to stop by sounding a gong

Other Word Forms

• gonglike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of gong

1800–10; < Malay, Javanese: any suspended bossed and rimmed gong; presumably imitative

Explanation

A gong is a large percussion instrument that you play by hitting it with a mallet. Gongs make a resonant, echoing sound. In the classic game show "The Gong Show," amateur performers tried to impress judges who could end the act by banging a giant gong. There are two types of gongs: one that makes a loud, crashing sound, and another that is actually tuned to a specific note. The crashing gong is sometimes also called a tam-tam. The oldest gongs were played in the early Han Dynasty in China, and gongs continue to be common in religious and secular Chinese music. Gong, named for the sound of a gong, comes from Malay.

Example Sentences

The scorecard for foreign automakers' pivot is "mixed", said UBS's Gong.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

After the isolation of Covid and against a backdrop of sliding sales, the 2023 Shanghai auto show was "a shocking moment" for foreign visitors, UBS analyst Paul Gong told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

The CEO, Gong Yu, spoke as the company introduced an AI plan that would include a database of celebrities who permit their likenesses to be used in AI-generated videos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The claims were first reported in a newspaper associated with the Falun Gong religious movement, which is also banned in China and has ties with Shen Yun.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

The glass cases contained dozens of keepsakes: a ruby the size of a man’s fist, a wedge of gold shaped like a sandwich, even the Thunder Gong she’d read about in the book.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee