chime

¹ American  

[chahym] / tʃaɪm /

noun

1. an apparatus for striking a bell so as to produce a musical sound, as one at the front door of a house by which visitors announce their presence.

2. Often chimes

   1. a set of bells or of slabs of metal, stone, wood, etc., producing musical tones when struck.

   2. a musical instrument consisting of such a set, especially a glockenspiel.

   3. the musical tones thus produced.

   4. carillon.

3. harmonious sound in general; music; melody.

4. harmonious relation; accord.

   the battling duo, in chime at last.

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verb (used without object)

• chimes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• chimed,
  past participle,  past
• chiming
  present participle

1. to sound harmoniously or in chimes as a set of bells.

   The church bells chimed at noon.

2. to produce a musical sound by striking a bell, gong, etc.; ring chimes.

   The doorbell chimed.

3. to speak in cadence or singsong.

4. to harmonize; agree.

   The scenery chimed perfectly with the play's eerie mood.

verb (used with object)

• chimes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• chimed,
  past participle,  past
• chiming
  present participle

1. to give forth (music, sound, etc.), as a bell or bells.

2. to strike (a bell, set of bells, etc.) so as to produce musical sound.

3. to put, bring, indicate, announce, etc., by chiming.

   Bells chimed the hour.

4. to utter or repeat in cadence or singsong.

   The class chimed a greeting to the new teacher.

verb phrase

1. chime in

   1. to break suddenly and unwelcomely into a conversation, as to express agreement or voice an opinion.

   2. to harmonize with, as in singing.

   3. to be consistent or compatible; agree.

      The new building will not chime in with the surrounding architecture.

chime ² American  

[chahym] / tʃaɪm /

Also chimb,

noun

1. the edge or brim of a cask, barrel, or the like, formed by the ends of the staves projecting beyond the head or bottom.

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chime ¹ British  

/ tʃaɪm /

noun

1. an individual bell or the sound it makes when struck

2. (often plural) the machinery employed to sound a bell in this way

3. Also called: bell.  a percussion instrument consisting of a set of vertical metal tubes of graduated length, suspended in a frame and struck with a hammer

4. a harmonious or ringing sound

   the chimes of children's laughter

5. agreement; concord

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verb

1. 1. to sound (a bell) or (of a bell) to be sounded by a clapper or hammer

   2. to produce (music or sounds) by chiming

2. (tr) to indicate or show (time or the hours) by chiming

3. (tr) to summon, announce, or welcome by ringing bells

4. to agree or harmonize

5. to speak or recite in a musical or rhythmic manner

chime ² British  

/ tʃaɪn, tʃaɪm /

noun

1. the projecting edge or rim of a cask or barrel

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chimer
  noun
• unchiming
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• chiming
  present
• chimed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• chime
  simple
• chimes
  simple
• have chimed
  perfect
• has chimed
  perfect
• am chiming
  progressive
• are chiming
  progressive
• is chiming
  progressive
• have been chiming
  perfect progressive
• has been chiming
  perfect progressive

Past

• chimed
  simple
• had chimed
  perfect
• was chiming
  progressive
• were chiming
  progressive
• had been chiming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will chime
  simple
• will have chimed
  perfect
• will be chiming
  progressive
• will have been chiming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of chime¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chymbe belle “cymbal, chime,” literally, “chime bell,” by false analysis of chimbel, chimble, from Old English cimbal, cimbala, or from Old French chimbe, variant of cimbe, cimble cymbal

Origin of chime²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English chimb(e) “rim of a barrel”; compare Old English cimbing “joining, joint,” cim-stānas “bases of a pillar”; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch kimme “edge”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chime chimes chimed chiming

By calling for the early review, the FCC allowed petitioners and ordinary residents to chime in on the stations’ operations and ABC network programming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

The White House is racing to hammer out policies while the tech world and moral authorities chime in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Its tick was a low-key gurgle and the alarm a dignified two-bell chime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Finales can be tough, given how viewers chime in on social media.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026

The doorbell chime echoed through the house, bringing them to a standstill.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

This trend chimes with the Gen Z and millennial mantra to bring your “whole, authentic self” to work, said Rebecca Thornton, a partner at talent advisory firm Spencer Stuart in New York.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

“It’s so not casual,” Shawkat chimes in, helpfully.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Barry chimes in gloomily, “I’m a surgeon and I can’t afford to buy a house.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

I’d be curious if Peters chimes in on the question, having changed his mind on acquisitions not long ago.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

“It’s an adjustment, playing a new position with older teammates,” Aunt Jen chimes in.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

On the rare occasions when he chimed in, it wasn’t to ask Claude about the unintelligible string of equations on his screen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

"So it is!" chimed in an off-duty fireman nearby.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

I think his son Rex Jones chimed in.

From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026

Another chimed in: “Have fun! I love RV’ing. I haven’t been in about 15 years now, but I’m retired now. I really should start again!!!”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

"We'd be happy to show you around," Bess chimed in.

From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene

“Midnight Movement” encases Monk’s best-known melody, “’Round Midnight” within a chiming, repeated figure and a gauze of natural overtones and synth tones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

He went on to form The Smiths with Morrissey in 1982, defining an entire era of indie music with his intricate, chiming tones - rooted in British pop, while stubbornly avoiding cliché.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

In the years that followed, whenever she popped up in the news, Trump couldn’t stop himself from chiming in.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

The sound bath and a chiming bell provide a resonant echo in which attendees visibly relax, most with their eyes closed.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

The little bells kept chiming as I followed her through a dark foyer into the living room.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat