honk

[ hongk, hawngk ]

See synonyms for honk on Thesaurus.com

noun

the cry of a goose.
any similar sound, as of an automobile horn.

verb (used without object)

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)

to cause (an automobile horn) to sound: The driver honked his horn impatiently.

Origin of honk

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use honk in a sentence

As he stepped on the curb, two guys in a dump truck started honking their horn.
Can America’s Favorite Ex-Con Mayor Win Again? | David Freedlander | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
If a goal is scored, the streets reverberate with cheers and honking horns.
England Eliminated From World Cup 2014: The ‘Years of Hurt’ Continue | Tim Teeman | June 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
What I need is noise, exhaust, and a cityscape of cab drivers honking and swearing at people.
John Oliver on ‘Last Week Tonight,’ Turning Down CBS, and ‘Nauseating’ American Politics | Marlow Stern | May 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Opponents say city annoyances like horn honking and traffic spooks horses.
De Blasio Whipped by Horse Lobby | Josh Robin | March 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Honking horns in a mall parking lot as we search for the last available spot.
The True Gifts of Christmas Are Life, Love, and the Mystery of God | Joshua DuBois | December 25, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST

Once they raced for a few miles with a honking wedge of wild geese.
White Fire | Roy J. Snell
I shouldn't wonder if we heard your car honking for you in half an hour.
The Firefly Of France | Marion Polk Angellotti
He moved across the street and away, not bothering about the squeal of brakes and the honking horns.
Badge of Infamy | Lester del Rey
You just know that the fairy godmother is waiting in the wings, and you can hear the great coach honking around the corner.
Pieces of Hate | Heywood Broun
Wedges of wild geese winged their way southward through the trackless sky, making the nights vocal with their honking.
Followers of the Trail | Zoe Meyer

British Dictionary definitions for honk

honk

/ (hɒŋk) /

noun

a representation of the sound made by a goose
any sound resembling this, esp a motor horn

British and Australian slang a bad smell

verb

to make or cause (something) to make such a sound
(intr) British a slang word for vomit

British and Australian slang to have a bad smell

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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