honk
Americannoun
-
honks
plural
-
the cry of a goose.
-
any similar sound, as of an automobile horn.
verb (used without object)
-
honks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
honked,
past participle, past
-
honking
present participle
-
to emit a honk.
-
to cause an automobile horn to sound.
He drove up in front of the house and honked.
verb (used with object)
-
honks,
present (3rd person singular)
-
honked,
past participle, past
-
honking
present participle
noun
-
a representation of the sound made by a goose
-
any sound resembling this, esp a motor horn
-
slang a bad smell
verb
-
to make or cause (something) to make such a sound
-
(intr) a slang word for vomit
-
slang to have a bad smell
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
honksimple
-
honkssimple
-
have honkedperfect
-
has honkedperfect
-
am honkingprogressive
-
are honkingprogressive
-
is honkingprogressive
-
have been honkingperfect progressive
-
has been honkingperfect progressive
Past
-
honkedsimple
-
had honkedperfect
-
was honkingprogressive
-
were honkingprogressive
-
had been honkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of honk
An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; imitative
Explanation
Honk! Out of the way! A honk is a noise made by a goose or a car horn. A goose's honk can be a greeting or warning, which is also true of a car horn's honk. To make the sound of a honk is to honk, whether you're a goose or a taxi driver waiting for the light to turn green. The "cry of a goose" meaning is the oldest, and the word honk, especially if you say it loudly, sounds just like what it means. HONK! The most common honk these days comes from cars stuck in traffic or saying hello. Honk if you like definitions!
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:
And at the end of the night, here comes Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor to honk twice, open the passenger door, and swoop you off to get some burgers and fries.
From Salon ● May 5, 2026
A constant stream of minibuses and cars honk their horns on a potholed road that is surrounded by dilapidated buildings.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
The cheerful honk is a familiar greeting among parents, community members and these local child-care workers on their pick-up routes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
They chanted, drummed and urged passersby to honk before blocking the street entirely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
A few gleaming motorcars pass with a honk.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
A fairground train carrying children made its way through the crowd, its Christmas soundtrack drowned out by the supportive honks of cars.
From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025
Dolly gets a lot of honks and smiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 21, 2025
Humans have been long fascinated by bird song and the cacophony of other avian sounds -- from coos and honks to quacks and peeps.
From Science Daily ● May 23, 2024
The honks and squawks of ibises and louries - shuffling silhouettes in the leafless trees.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2023
As Laura nears her driveway, she honks the horn twice to alert the guard to open the gate, but surprisingly, it is already open.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
“These studios were built on the backs of labor,” actor and SAG-AFTRA national board executive committee member Frances Fisher said during the rally, as passing cars honked in support.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
They honked the horn nine times to alert others nearby.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Emergency service workers shouted "Let's go Knicks" through loudspeakers, while strangers hugged and shook hands, and drivers honked their horns.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
Sirens blared, horns honked, and church bells pealed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
A horn honked repeatedly, and Emily heard her brother yell, “Showtime!”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
This week, exasperated residents blocked the highway linking Tachira state to Barinas at night, banging pots and pans and honking horns in protest.
From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026
“Everyone is honking their horn while we’re going,” Jaxson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Would they accurately present his honking laugh, his quiet scoff, his John Waters sense of humor?
From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2026
Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate and local media have shown videos of happy fans driving through Tangier waving the national flag, banging tambourines and honking their horns.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
They could hear honking as a few more cars pulled up to the harbor.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
