Foley
adjective
of or relating to motion-picture sound effects produced manually.
Foley
American
[foh-lee]
/ ˈfoʊ li /
adjective
foley
British
/ ˈfəʊlɪ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of Foley
After Jack Foley, sound-effect pioneer at Universal Pictures in the 1930s
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:
This year, for the first time, the Foley artist who worked on blockbuster movies such as “Frozen,” “Interstellar” and “The Dark Knight” did not have enough hours to qualify for her union healthcare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
You have to ask, “what are we doing to the planet and does that mean we will encounter more diseases?” said Janet Foley, a disease ecologist at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Foley Foundation, another US-based hostage advocacy group, said Chen's health is a concern, noting that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Price delivers “Oval Room” with the same steely, straight-ahead tone that Foley had, offering a very faithful reading of the original — but that’s not meant as an insult or a diminishment of Price’s approach.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
The person this whole tape revolves around…Justin Foley.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
With the metal in colliding knives, the foley work of sand beneath a boot and the glottal roaring of a sandworm, I am reduced to a slack, muttering, awe-struck child.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2025
This week, host Karen Han talks to foley artist Joanna Fang, who uses everyday objects to create sound effects for movies, TV shows, and video games.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2022
The 90-minute performance will feature two world premieres commissioned to be performed in what the company calls “an exciting live format,” showcasing original music and foley effects executed in front of the audience.
From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
There’s a distinctly L.A., entertainment-industry vibe to the gathering too; both Heuer and Reymond make their living as award-winning foley artists, and a number of the students also work in Hollywood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2021
The various disciplines inform foley artists in different ways.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2021
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.
