onomatopoeia
noun
the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.
onomatopoeic
-
a word derived from
onomatopoeia.
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.
To the Nolan fanboys, the “Batman” television series’ creators made West carry shark repellent and throw onomatopoeic punches because they didn’t understand what it meant to be Batman.
From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026
Others still have functionally random names, like the onomatopoeic Bobolink and Veery, or Osprey, which is derived from the Old French word ospreit, itself coming from a Latin word meaning “bird of prey.”
From Slate ● Jan. 25, 2024
But Tuscaloosa, the state’s fifth-largest city whose name almost rings onomatopoeic for Southern, will always be home.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 22, 2017
Textual representations of laughter go back at least to Chaucer, who fancied the onomatopoeic “haha” to convey merriment in his writing.
From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2017
The context helped, but more than that, the word was at one with its meaning, and was almost onomatopoeic.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
