sonic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to sound.
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noting or pertaining to a speed equal to that of sound in air at the same height above sea level.
adjective
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of, involving, or producing sound
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having a speed about equal to that of sound in air: 331 metres per second (741 miles per hour) at 0°C
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sonic
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Explanation
The adjective sonic means related to audible sound or to the speed of sound waves. If something goes faster than the speed of sound, it creates a sonic boom, a shock wave that sounds like an explosion. The adjective sonic was coined in the 1920s, from the Latin sonus, or "sound." Ever since, it's been used not only to describe things relating to sound, but also things that travel as fast as sound. The Sonic fast food chain originally advertised "Service With the Speed of Sound." A super-fast Japanese express train is called Sonic. And the Sonic the Hedgehog video games feature a speedy main character.
Vocabulary lists containing sonic
Common Senses: Son ("Sound")
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Lend Me Your Ears: Sound Words
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My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
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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.
If an electron’s mass was equivalent to the sound of a “flea’s fart,” what would the sonic equivalent of a proton be?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
"He really loved the sonic palette of the song and wanted me to write something that was in a similar vein," she says.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
The Space Force contends it follows federal environmental laws and has commissioned studies to lessen the flights’ impact on wildlife and reduce residents’ exposure to sonic booms.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
Nearby residents also have complained of sonic booms created by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026
There’s a loud sound, a sonic boom as my world cracks.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
