clap
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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claps,
present (3rd person singular)
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clapped,
past participle, past
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clapping
present participle
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to strike the palms of (one's hands) against one another resoundingly, and usually repeatedly, especially to express approval.
She clapped her hands in appreciation.
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to strike (someone) amicably with a light, open-handed slap, as in greeting, encouragement, or the like.
He clapped his friend on the back.
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to strike (an object) against something quickly and forcefully, producing an abrupt, sharp sound, or a series of such sounds.
to clap a book on the table.
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to bring together forcefully (facing surfaces of the same object).
She clapped the book shut.
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to applaud (a performance, speech, speaker, etc.) by clapping the hands.
The audience clapped the actors at the end of the act.
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to put or place quickly or forcefully: She clapped her hand over his mouth.
Can you clap a lid on that jar?
She clapped her hand over his mouth.
They clapped him in jail.
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to make or arrange hastily (often followed by together orup ).
He clapped together dinner from stuff in the pantry and leftovers from the fridge.
verb (used without object)
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claps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
clapped,
past participle, past
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clapping
present participle
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to clap the hands, as to express approval; applaud.
After the audience stopped clapping, the tenor sang two encores.
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to make an abrupt, sharp sound, as of flat surfaces striking against one another.
The shutters clapped in the wind.
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to move or strike with such a sound.
She clapped across the room in her slippers.
noun
verb phrase
idioms
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clap eyes on. eye.
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clap hold of, to take hold of.
noun
verb
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to make or cause to make a sharp abrupt sound, as of two nonmetallic objects struck together
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to applaud (someone or something) by striking the palms of the hands together sharply
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(tr) to strike (a person) lightly with an open hand, in greeting, encouragement, etc
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(tr) to place or put quickly or forcibly
they clapped him into jail
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(of certain birds) to flap (the wings) noisily
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(tr; foll by up or together) to contrive or put together hastily
they soon clapped up a shed
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informal to catch sight of
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informal to grasp suddenly or forcibly
noun
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the sharp abrupt sound produced by striking the hands together
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the act of clapping, esp in applause
he deserves a good clap
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a sudden sharp sound, esp of thunder
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a light blow
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archaic a sudden action or mishap
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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clapsimple
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clapssimple
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have clappedperfect
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has clappedperfect
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am clappingprogressive
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are clappingprogressive
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is clappingprogressive
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have been clappingperfect progressive
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has been clappingperfect progressive
Past
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clappedsimple
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had clappedperfect
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was clappingprogressive
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were clappingprogressive
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had been clappingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of clap1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English clappen, Old English clæppan; cognate with Middle Low German kleppen
Origin of clap2
First recorded in 1580–90; akin to Middle French clapoir “bubo,” clapier “brothel,” Old Provençal clapier “warren”
Explanation
To clap is to strike your hands together. After an awesome play, an audience will clap and maybe even stand up and hoot. A clap is also any loud or sharp noise or collision, like a clap of thunder. After you see a performance, it's polite to clap — smack your hands together quickly and repeatedly. To clap also means to put something down quickly and with force, like if you clap a plate on a table. Any sharp, loud sound is a clap, like a clap caused by an explosion. Clapping two objects together quickly will cause a clap. All types of claps and clapping involve sharp movements and loud sounds.
Vocabulary lists containing clap
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 7
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 7
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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.
See Examples For:
Music is embedded in our brains and in our bodies, expressed with every rhythmic breath and step we take, each time we clap our hands, stomp our feet, beat our chests, whistle, hum or sing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
A clap of thunder cracked over the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, and a few raindrops started to fall over the coastal region that has seen France's worst wildfire since 1949.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
One scene even has a comic slow clap that, in my theater, didn’t get a reaction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
"We are all in this room, we are telling you a story, you're listening - clap or don't clap, but don't just stick your phone in our face. I find it insulting."
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
I clap my cleats and then raise my arms and sway from side to side like I would at a concert.
From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner
When a noise “so loud that it was almost a physical presence” claps over the house, the group realizes it’s a confirmation of their collective fears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
Still carrying his school bag, he claps his hands - a gesture that appears calm.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
The machine was collected from North Shields in March 2024 and was welcomed with claps and cheers when it reached Coniston later that day.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
But claps were generous for Swift’s closer, which saw the artist sincerely thanking her fans for being her muse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2025
She claps her hands together and does her lopsided skip.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
"To my wife and children, I love you. Goodbye," the PM said, before several MPs stood up and clapped for Starmer as he went to shake the Speaker of the House of Commons' hand.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
When Verdugo appointed himself mayor, the audience whooped and clapped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Audience members clapped and sang along to “Thriller” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” and whooped every time Michael — played with admittedly impressive accuracy by Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar — hit a spin or kick.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Kid Rock -- whose real name is Robert Ritchie -- posted a video on X over the weekend showing a helicopter hovering near his mountaintop home's swimming pool as he clapped and saluted.
From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 2026
He grunted and swatted his stubby hands at me, but once I said I had a message for him to deliver, he clapped his hands and smiled, showing tiny yellow teeth.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
With Boro leading 1-0 in the 80th minute through a Lankshear goal, the striker slowly jogged off the pitch while clapping the fans.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The applause duly began before the famous door opened, so the first sight and sound to greet Andy Burnham and his wife were crowds of clapping staff, crammed into the Downing Street hall.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Trump stayed put, however, clapping and smiling until Rodri thrusted the trophy skyward and gold confetti shot from cannons behind them to officially start the celebration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
This was not the first time this season the two-time All-Star has been seen clapping toward other players or officials during a game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
The “One two three” rhyme, for example, uses all four maintypes of body percussion—stamping, clapping, patsching, and snapping—but not all of the types of body percussion need to be incorporated.
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.
