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
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Derived 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.
Whether in use as memorable transitions, to deliver a sonic hit of nostalgia or to underscore a jarring cliffhanger, songs pack emotional punch — and leave us wanting more.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
This is how “Fantasy,” my sonic comfort blanket since I was a preschooler, came to be.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
During those future flights, researchers will gather public feedback about the aircraft's quieter sonic "thump" and evaluate how people respond to it.
From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026
That is what I look to him most for as a celestial mentor, being a band leader and creating those sonic landscapes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
Mrs. Hameed flourishes the wooden spoon she’s holding, as if she’s the new Doctor Who and the spoon is her sonic screwdriver.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
