sonic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to sound.
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noting or pertaining to a speed equal to that of sound in air at the same height above sea level.
adjective
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of, involving, or producing sound
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having a speed about equal to that of sound in air: 331 metres per second (741 miles per hour) at 0°C
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sonic
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Explanation
The adjective sonic means related to audible sound or to the speed of sound waves. If something goes faster than the speed of sound, it creates a sonic boom, a shock wave that sounds like an explosion. The adjective sonic was coined in the 1920s, from the Latin sonus, or "sound." Ever since, it's been used not only to describe things relating to sound, but also things that travel as fast as sound. The Sonic fast food chain originally advertised "Service With the Speed of Sound." A super-fast Japanese express train is called Sonic. And the Sonic the Hedgehog video games feature a speedy main character.
Vocabulary lists containing sonic
Common Senses: Son ("Sound")
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Lend Me Your Ears: Sound Words
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My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
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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.
Appeared in the June 10, 2026, print edition as 'Enduring a Subtle Sonic Plague'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Their lead single “Fabienk” is studded with hair-trigger riffs — if you can even call them that — that mix the playful nursery rhyme melodies of Battles with the no-wave drone of Sonic Youth.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Bottomless deals can build “brand awareness for the short term,” said Miller, who helped Sonic Drive-In develop its digital strategy.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
Sonic booms are expected along California’s Central Coast late Saturday as SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket into orbit.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
They’re wearing his favorite Sonic Youth T-shirt with the hole in the front left shoulder.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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.
