Synonyms

oink

American

[oingk] / ɔɪŋk /

verb (used without object)

to make the characteristic sound of a pig; grunt.

noun

the squealing or grunting sound made by a pig.

oink British

/ ɔɪŋk /

interjection

an imitation or representation of the grunt of a pig

"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

Etymology

Origin of oink

First recorded in 1940–45; imitative

Explanation

An oink is the sound a pig makes. If you're on the hunt for your neighbor's run-away piglets, be sure to listen carefully for oinks. In Japanese, pigs "buu," in German they "grunz," and in Swedish they "nöff." In English, however, we describe the sound pigs make as an oink and we say that when they make this noise, they oink. All of these words are imitative, each language's best imitation of the grunting-squeaking-squeal that's unique to our porcine pals.

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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.

And an oink boink boink and a boink oink oink,

From Slate • Oct. 11, 2018

With an oink oink oink and a boink boink boink,

From Slate • Oct. 11, 2018

The print Post vs. a pound of scrapple: One uses a lot of ink, the other a lot of oink.

From Washington Post • Jul. 12, 2018

Cowy Cow, now you say Moo!” is the kind of text that barely-talking toddlers will enthusiastically moo, oink and bark along to.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2011

Jeff made a horrific sound, attempting to oink backward.

From "George" by Alex Gino

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023