megaphone
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
noun
Other Word Forms
- megaphonic adjective
- megaphonically adverb
Etymology
Origin of megaphone
Compare meaning
How does megaphone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A megaphone is a cone-shaped amplifier you can use to make your voice louder. You can bring a megaphone to a football game, but leave it at home if you are headed to a dinner party. Megaphones are useful, portable devices for someone who's guiding a group of protesters, for a movie director who's working with a lot of actors on a large set, or for cheerleaders who want their voices to carry over the roar of a crowd of football fans. Thomas Edison invented the megaphone, and he probably named it too: it combines the Greek megas, "great," with phone, "voice."
Vocabulary lists containing megaphone
Ghost
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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.
“Gavin Newsom’s megaphone is loud enough to echo across this race, leading other prominent members of the party to endorse whomever he chooses and vaulting someone, finally, out of the crowded pack,” Kousser said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
"Keep moving, don't gather in a crowd, don't block the way for other citizens," a police officer said through a megaphone.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
The days of the superstar columnist with the biggest megaphone in town were long gone, but the section remained tremendous.
From Slate • Feb. 5, 2026
He has a big enough stage, megaphone and profile to do the prime minister real damage, should he choose to do so.
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026
In the poster's foreground, a woman marched out, climbed on a striped platform, and hollered into a megaphone.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
