ringtone

American  

[ring-tohn] / ˈrɪŋˌtoʊn /

Or ring tone

1. the sound a cell phone makes when receiving a call or text message.

   Download the most popular rock music ringtones.

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ringtone British  

/ ˈrɪŋˌtəʊn /

noun

1. a musical tune played by a mobile phone when a call is received

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Etymology

Origin of ringtone

First recorded in 1980-85; ring ² + tone

Explanation

A ringtone is the sound your phone makes when someone calls or texts you. Don't be that jerk in the theater who doesn't silence their ringtone before the movie starts! The ringtone of an old-fashioned telephone was produced by an actual bell being rung. Although the sounds made by modern phones vary wildly, from beeps and chirps to animal sounds, classical music, and more, they're all still called ringtones. Today, mobile phones offer an almost infinite variety of tones you can choose to alert you that calls or text messages are coming in. You might decide to go old school and pick a ringing bell as your ringtone!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ringtone

A friend had even made it her ringtone, she told me.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

“It smells like, you know, sewer,” said Delrose, looking out at the murky ocean as his phone sounded with the ringtone of “That’s Life.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

Then a Russian folksong is heard, an apparent phone ringtone which went unanswered.

From Barron's ● Feb. 2, 2026

"He always spoke to me," 44-year-old Mr Kukoyi, who currently has a vintage Doctor Who theme as the ringtone on his phone, tells the BBC.

From BBC ● May 10, 2025

Jake’s phone vibrated and sounded its text alert: a funny armpit-fart ringtone.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein