beep
Americannoun
-
beeps
plural
-
a short, relatively high-pitched tone produced by a horn, electronic device, or the like as a signal, summons, or warning.
-
one of the periodic signals sounded by a beeper.
verb (used without object)
-
beeps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
beeped,
past participle, past
-
beeping
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
beeps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
beeped,
past participle, past
-
beeping
present participle
-
to sound (a horn, warning signal, etc.).
impatient drivers beeping their horns.
-
to announce, warn, summon, etc., by beeping.
The doctor was beeped to call the hospital.
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
beepsimple
-
beepssimple
-
have beepedperfect
-
has beepedperfect
-
am beepingprogressive
-
are beepingprogressive
-
is beepingprogressive
-
have been beepingperfect progressive
-
has been beepingperfect progressive
Past
-
beepedsimple
-
had beepedperfect
-
was beepingprogressive
-
were beepingprogressive
-
had been beepingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of beep
First recorded in 1925–30; imitative
Explanation
A beep is a brief warning sound. You might give a quick beep on your car horn to let a bicyclist know you're passing her on the road. Your friend's voice mail might say, "Leave a message after the beep!" and your smoke alarm might emit an annoying series of beeps when its battery is dying. In either case, you'll hear a high-pitched, brief tone. The word is imitative — it sounds like what it means — and relatively new, only as old as the car horns it imitates. Beep was first an interjection in the 1920s, and a noun and a verb by the end of the decade.
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.
See Examples For:
Until then, drills buzz into concrete, construction lifts beep loudly, workers iron curtains and more art comes out of storage waiting for a moment in the sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026
While hiking in a forest in the Mount Shasta area with a metal detector, browsing over rocks and dirt, his machine began to beep.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
The funkiest thing a “radioactive shrimp” would do—that is, if you put a radiation sensor over such a crustacean, says Pillai—is beep.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2025
Despite our many requests, the Florida Department of Corrections has not gotten him a hearing aid that doesn’t beep loudly in his ears, so he prefers to stay in his own, soundless world.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2025
“How are you?” the cashier says, as the scanner beep, beep, beeps.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Tina Tallon, a professor of artificial intelligence and music composition at The Ohio State University, explains that a "click track" features clicks or beeps such as a metronome, or other cues to capture rhythm.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
It’s something I really notice when I’m with other people and I hear all their dings, beeps, and chimes and I just think, Why?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Clocky, a wheeled device that made its debut about 20 years ago, hops off a bedside table and beeps as it zooms around the room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
My days are filled with the beeps and growls of bulldozers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2025
Surrounded by the same beeps and tubes and monitors and noises from the hall.
From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea
Shortly afterwards, mobile phones beeped in unison as a missile alert came in and the wail of sirens started up.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
Machines beeped and whirred as my husband laid on the hospital bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
The craft beeped awake, arched its hawklike shoulders, and whined off into the valley.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2024
Monitors beeped; Shakira played on the sound system.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 19, 2023
I said, pumping my fists in the air as the microwave beeped.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
In October 1957 Sputnik crossed the American firmament, beeping as it went.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The hat-topped cars are now a fixture in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and even sparked a beeping backlash in Santa Monica.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
"There's a quietness about our house now it's not chaos and beeping machines and medicines lined up along the counter and fear."
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The low hum of cars passing and horns beeping in the distance gives me a sense of safety; I’m never alone.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
I can hear a faint beeping not far from me.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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