Written Sound
Onomatopoeia Dictionary
Words that sound like the thing they mean: Imitative words. From the Greek "onoma" (name) and "poiein" (to make)
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aaugh

Exclaimation of dismay, commonly used, and originaly created by the Peanuts gang by Charles Schulz. Used frequently by Charlie Brown in the following situations: Losing a Baseball game, Having the football pulled away by Lucy, In an embarrassing situation. Also used by other members of the peanuts gang and can be used as a roaring sound to scare someone. 1) Linus: I told her about how you're madly in love with her, Charlie Brown: Aaugh!! 2) Snoopy: It's not the things that go 'bump' in the night that scare me. It's the things that go 'AAUGH!'. Urban dictionary

dismay pain embarrassment comics

achoo

sound of sneezing. More sneezing sounds

human disease

ah

interjection used to express delight, relief, regret, or contempt

human

ah-choo

sound of sneezing. More sneezing sounds

human disease

aha

interjection used to express surprise, triumph, or derision

human

ahem

clearing one's throat

human

ahoy

interjection used in hailing (to call or greet) a ship, as in "ship ahoy"

human

argh

exclamation expressing pain. there is a webpage dedicated to the many different spellings of aargh on the web. The top five most common spellings is argh, aargh, aaargh, arrgh, arrrgh.

human pain

atchoo

sound of sneezing. More sneezing sounds

human disease

aw

interjection used to express mild disappointment, gentle entreaty, or real or mock sympathy or sentiment

human

awk

Sound uttered by a person choking. Also gak, argh, gasp

disease eat_drink pain human animal

babble

1. to talk enthusiastically or excessively, 2. to utter meaningless or unintelligible sounds. imitative origin.

human

badonkadonk

Extremely curvaceous female buttocks. Urban dictionary: When the immense, rounded muscle tissue of the rear creates a sound wave ripping through the local environment making a pressure wave against the ear drum in a pleasing Ba-dOnk-a-dOnk rhythm. Also: A womens derriere that has the shape of, and bounces like a basketball. The word is derived from the sound produced when you bounce a basketball. A case of the sound of one urban icon, naming another urban icon with similar propensities but that doesn't really make a sound.

bah

interjection used to express disdain or contempt

human

bawl

to cry out loudly and unrestrainedly. From baulare (Medieval Latin) or baula (Old Norse), imitative origin.

human animal

bay

dog vocalization (in the poem Lepanto by G. K. Chesterton: "... Don John's hunting, and his hounds have bayed ...". Find more dog vocalizations

animal

bazinga

interjection similar in meaning to fooled you! or gotcha! after a prank. It first appeared in the tv sitcom The Big Bang Theory and is used by the character named Sheldon. It probably comes from the word zing and ba and a may just have been added for added effect. See video of Bazinga!-moments

human television series comedy

blab

loose chatter. Also: blabber

human

blabber

Loose chatter. also: blab

blah

nonsense, silly talk

human

blurt

to utter abruptly and impulsively, as in "to blurt out the first word that comes to mind"

human

boo

1. used to express derision, disapproval 2. Used to startle someone, when said loudly and abruptly

human

boo-hoo

crying

human

boosh

A word that describes the sound of an explosion; an expression used to express awesomeness. Ex. (1) We lit the gas can on fire, and it went "BOOSH!". (2) When Tamera aced the test, we heard her shout, "BOOSH!" in celebration. Urban Dictionary - Thanks to students of Ms. Lane's 7th grade class! Find more explosions

explosion human

borborygmus

the rumbling sound produced by the movement of gas through the intestines of animals, including humans. Stomach growling.

eat_drink animal gas

brekekekex, koax, koax

(Ancient Greek) frog . Features in Aristophanes' comedy Batrachoi ("The Frogs", (405 BCE) - as translated by Matthew Dillon. The phrase was also used by Hans Christian Andersen, in the fairy tale Tommeliden ("Thumbelina", 1835)

animal

brouhaha

hubbub, uproar

human

bumblebee

A bumblebee (also spelled as bumble bee) is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. They are characterized by are characterised by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. Etymonline: 1520s, replacing M.E. humbul-be, alt. by assoc. with M.E. bombeln "to boom, buzz," echoic, from PIE base *kem "to hum," echoic.

burp

the act of belching

human human eat_drink

burr

uvular pronounciation of the letter "r"

human

buzz

1. a sibilant humming sound, like a bee (also: bzzz, hum) 2. the sound of a buzzer 3. a confusion of activity and gossip, chatter, talk. Also used as a verb "the bees were buzzing", "he buzzed a servant"

human animal tone

ca-chunk

sound of big metal-framed ink-stamps used by court clerks (ref)

metal hit

cackle

1. the sound made by a hen after laying an egg, 2. talking in a cackling manner, probably has partial imitative origin

human animal bird

cha-cha-cha

a fast rhythmic ballroom dance of Latin-American origin with a basic pattern of three steps and a shuffle. The name is derived from the rhythm of the guiro (scraper) and the shuffling of the dancers' feet

music

cham

to chew noisily. Find more chewing noises

human eat_drink

chat

to converse easily and familiarly. also a name for small birds, such as the warbler

human animal bird

chatter

quick repeated sounds (by birds or humans)

human animal bird

chit-chat

light, informal conversation

human

chomp

to chew or bite something. Find more chewing noises

human eat_drink animal

chortle

laughter, gleeful chuckle, chuckling and snorting. Ususally designated as a description of a weird laugh, but a chortle can be a laugh you make when you REALLY enjoy something. Often used in British comic "the Dandy and the Beano" or "Beano book", e.g. Dennis the Menace's annoying habit of guffawing at his own actions: "Ha ha! Look Gnasher! Chortle!"

laughter

chough

genus Pyrrhocorax of birds in the Corvidae (crow) family. now universally pronounced 'chuff'. However it probably originally rhymed with "how", as 'chow' is a reasonable representation of its call (according to this website). link1 (white-winged chough), link2 (red-billed chough)

animal bird

chuck-will's-widow

(Caprimulgus carolinensis) nocturnal bird of the nightjar family Caprimulgidae, similar to the whip-poor-will, found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods. It migrates to the West Indies, Central America, and northwestern South America. voice: Call a loud "Chuck-will's-widow," with the first "chuck" being quiet and inaudible at a distance. about this bird

animal bird

chug

a dull explosive sound made by or as if by a laboring engine

engine

chug chugchug chugchug mmmoooosh

sound of a steamroller (Diggers go by Steve Light. All caps in the book ChuG ChuGChuG ChuGChuG MMMMOOOOSH)

engine equipment road

ChuGGA chugga chugga ChuGGA chugga chugga CHOO CHOOOOOOO

steam engine or train. from this book:
Trans go, by Steve Light
Click here for more train sounds

machine movement

chukar

The Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. Their song is a noisy chuck-chuck-chukar-chukar from which the name is derived. More

animal bird

chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump

Sounds made by an excavator (From Diggers go by Steve Light). In the book all caps ChuMMA ChuMMA ChuMMA, huFFT huFFT FALUMP

engine metal digging

chunk

to chunk, a verb for sound made by a big engine, as in thumping, chunking engines going.. (from the poem "engineers" by Jimmy Garthwaite, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett)

engine

cliche

stereotyped phrase (imitative origin, from the sound of dropping the matrix on the molten metal)

human

click

1. slight sharp sound, eg. camera making a photo. 2. nonvocal suction sound in some languages, 3. to talk noisily or rapidly. The sound made by dolphins is also called "clicking".
In the media: click it or ticket is the name and slogan of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign aimed at increasing the use of seat belts among young people in the United States. Also: "clunk click, every trip (click the seatbelt on after clunking the car door closed; UK campaign) and: "click, clack, front and back" (click, clack of connecting the seatbelts; AU campaign)

human animal automotive

cough

to expel air noisily from the lungs, usually to expel fluids that resonate during breathing

human disease

crackle

1. To make a succession of slight sharp snapping noises: a fire crackling in the wood stove. 2. To show liveliness, energy, or intensity: a book that crackles with humor. 3. To become covered with a network of fine cracks; craze. v.tr. 1. To crush (paper, for example) with sharp snapping sounds. 2. To cause (china, for example) to become covered with a network of fine cracks.
in the media: Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. They are named after the sound rice krispies make when they are dropped in a bowl of milk

croon

1. To hum or sing softly. 2. To sing popular songs in a soft, sentimental manner. 3. (Scottish) To roar or bellow. Possibly of imitative origin. Originally "to bellow like a bull" as well as "to utter a low, murmuring sound" Etymonline

human music animal

croup

throat-disease with a sharp, barking cough. imitative origin

human disease

crunch

1. to chew with a noisy crackling sound, 2. to crush, grind, or tread noisily. Find more chewing noises

human eat_drink animal crack

crunch, crunch, crunch

sound of footsteps on gravel, stones

human stones

cry

1. to call loudly, 2. to weep, 3. verb for the sound of a trumpet (in the poem "Lepanto" by G. K. Chesterton: "... Don John calling through the blast and the eclipse, crying with the trumpet, with the trumpet of his lips"

human music

d'oh

interjection used to express sudden recognition of a foolish blunder or an ironic turn of events, popularized by The Simpsons tv cartoon series, in which main character Homer uses it often. also: doh.

human

dada

vocal sound produced by a human infant

human

dakka

the sound produced by fully-automatic weapons in action. Use in computer gaming: Acquiring "more dakka" leads to a faster rate of bullet discharge and thus improves the player's overall chance of taking out hostiles ref

weapons

dook

1. sound of drinking from a bottle ('dook, dook, dook' as in webcomic Scary Go Round) 2. verb: to dook, clucking or chuckling sound made by ferrets when excited or happy. More about ferrets

animal

duh

interjection used to express actual or feigned ignorance or stupidity, also used derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or self-evident

human

eek eek

1. monkey, mouse or rat vocalization 2. sound of a squaky shoe (from "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" by Dr. Seuss) 3. human exclamation uttered when scared or distressed

animal

eh

interjection used to ask for confirmation or repetition or to express inquiry ; used especially in Canadian English in anticipation of the listener's or reader's agreement

human

fa-thud

sound of someone hitting the floor after falling

fighting punch hard_hit hit

fap fap fap

Sound of masturbating (male)

human

fart

(possibly of imitative origin, but debatable) English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. Onomatopoeia for farts have been suggested in various internet forums in response to questions of people who needed a word to describe the sound: eg. here and here. The suggested words include brrt, braaah, THPPTPHTPHPHHPH (Calvin and Hobbes), phhhhhhrt, PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP, pff, prtrtrtrgurtrufnasutututut, prrrt, PFFT!, PHHhhhh..., SPLPLPLLLP, WHOooooffff, poot, prrrrrrrvt, scraeft, ppppppwwarrrrppppp, pllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooaaa..., RRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPP, fuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrt, thhhppbbbb, verrrrrrrrrnnnnnntttttt, hooooooooooooooooooooooooonk, pbpbpbpbp, frr frr frrrrrr rampooooooooo ag, pppppppptttttttttttttttttttttttt, flurpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp... Also, according to many responders it depends on the fart (farting can make many possible sounds).

human gas

flatulence

See fart. (The word "flatulence" is not an onomatopoeia)

human gas

flibbertigibbet

A flighty or whimsical person, usually a young woman. In modern use, it is used as a slang term, especially in Yorkshire, for a gossipy or overly talkative person. Its origin is in a meaningless representation of chattering.

human conversation

flip-flop

flip-flops are a simple footwear named by sound produced when walking in them

movement human

Fnarr! Fnarr!

a ribald laugh to draw attention to a double entendre. From Viz magazine comic strip Finbarr Saunders (thanks, Patz Gardiner)

laughing human

fwappa

Sound of a parachute opening ( Pokemon Black and White Vol 7 Kusaka & Yamamoto)

misc soft_hit gas

gag

to choke

human disease eat_drink animal

gasp

sound produced by victim of punch in the stomach. from:
Dragon Ball Z Vol 1, by Akira Toriyama
the original word, meaning "to catch the breath convulsively and audibly (as with shock)" is not directly imitative

human hard_hit

geez

interjection used to express disbelief or exasperation. As in: Geez, stop shouting at me like that!. Alternative to saying Jesus! in order to be less offensive. Also: sheesh.

human conversation

gibberish

1. gibberish is rapid, inarticulate, often foolish sounding speech, 2. according to this wikipedia entry, it is also a verb for the sound made by apes/monkeys (as in "dogs bark, monkeys gibber")

human animal

giggle

laugh in a manner suggestive of foolish levity or uncontrollable amusement

human laughter

glop

sound something liquidy and unappetizing hitting a dinner plate

human eat_drink

glug

sound of swallowing a drink

human eat_drink

gnash

to strike teeth together

human animal

gnaw

to bite persistently

human eat_drink animal

gobbledygook

(noun) jargon or highly intricate language that is hard to understand or incomprehensible. Comes from gobble, the vocalization of turkeys. Wikipedia

gray-winged trumpeter

(Psophia crepitans) bird species found in South America, whose song is a low humming, but its call, as its name suggests, is a very loud JEEK or honking TZAAK, which may be the reason for the name "trumpeter". This bird is kept as a pet by Amerindians, since it is easily tamed, hunts snakes, and is a very efficient sentinel, with its unmissable alarm call. about this bird

animal bird

great kiskadee

passerine bird (Pitangus sulphuratus) found in southern Texas and middle and south america. this bird is a flycatcher. the voice is described by some sources as dee-kis-ka-dee, by others as BEE-tee-WEE. The latter gives the bird its name in different languages and countries: In Brazilian Portuguese the birds name is bem-te-vi, or bien-te-veo (spanish) meaning ("I've spotted you!"). In El Salvador the bird is known as Cristofue, and in Paraguay as pitogue. In French it is called tyran quiquivi. link1, link2, video

animal bird

groan

1. to utter a loud deep sound of grief or pain, 2. the sound of funeral bells (in the poem "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe, 3. sound of drums (in the poem "Lepanto" by G. K. Chesterton: "...For he heard drums groaning and he heard guns jar ..."

human human pain music

grumble

to mutter in discontent

human

grump

to growl, rumble. Grumpy: surly tempered, making inarticulate noises betokening displeasure

human

grunt

pig vocalization, the deep short sound characteristic of a hog

human animal

guff

1. foolish nonsense 2. annoying or playful criticism

human conversation

guffaw

course, hearty, boisterous laughter, belly laugh


human laughter

gulp

to swallow greedily or rapidly in large amounts. e.g. "she gulps down a whole mug of coffee".

human eat_drink

gwuf, gwuf, gwuf

sound of footstep ("Pedro and the padre", by Verna Aardema)

human movement

ha ha

laughter. most common form. intensity grows by adding ha's. absence of an exclamation mark can be a hint of sarcasm, or indicate a polite, but unenthusiastic laugh. dependent on context, tone, facial expression, etc. Also: haha

laughter

HA-ha!

signature laugh of Nelson, a character from The Simpsons. Nelson is a bully at Bart Simpson's school, and he laughs at anyone who is in danger. His laugh is also written as "Haw-Haw!". link to sound



human laughter

ha.

The period (instead of exclamation mark) makes this expression of laughter sound unenthusiastic, bored, in a hurry, or not really amused

laughter

hah-hah-hah

sound of a dog panting. also: hu hu hu hu, ah uh ah uh, heh-heh-heh. (these were among the replies to a question posted on Yahoo answers)

harumph

Interjection, an expression of disdain, disbelief, protest, or dismissal; a huff, grunt, or snort. also: harumpf

interjection human

haw

laughter, often used to express scorn or disbelief. Often duplicated or triplicated (haw haw or haw haw haw)

human laughter

hawk

an audible effort to force up phlegm from the throat

human

he-he

laughter

human laughter

hee haw

1. bray of a donkey, 2. loud coarse laugh

human laughter

heh-heh-heh

sound of a dog panting. also: hu hu hu hu, hah-hah-hah, ah uh ah uh. (Yahoo answers)

hem

clearing throat. Also: ahem

hey

interjection used especially to call attention or to express interrogation, surprise, or exultation

human

hi

interjection used as a greeting

human

hiccup

spasm of the respiratory organs accompanied by a resonant gasping noise. Also: hiccough

human eat_drink

hip

interjection used to introduce a united cheer (cf. hip-hip-hurrah). in the meaning "trendy" or "informed", it may come from "hep" (african-american slang), of which the origin is not clear

human

hm

interjection used in many ways, one of which is to indicate that one is thinking, feeling, introspecting. also: hmm (more m's are added for dramatic effect or other reasons

hmpf

interjection used to express doubt or contempt. Also: humph, humpf

ho hum

interjection used to express weariness, boredom, or disdain

human

hoo hoo

bird vocalization: the cry of an owl, also: hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo, twit twoo

animal bird

hooray

exclamation used to express joy, approval, or encouragement. also: hurrah

hoot

bird vocalization, usually the cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo

animal bird

hottentot

member of native S. African race. Possibly imitative of the language spoken by the people referred to

human

howl

prolonged, doleful cry, typically of a dog or wolf, but can also be human or monkey. find dog vocalizations

animal human

hrrooonnh

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: muuhhhrrr, rrrruuuurrrr, moo, low, huuuooohar. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

hu hu hu hu

sound of a dog panting. also: ah uh ah uh; hah-hah-hah; heh-heh-heh>/a> (Yahoo answers )

huff

sound of exhaling, blowing, puffing

animal gas

huh

interjection used to express surprise, disbelief, or confusion, or as an inquiry inviting affirmative reply, also: uh-huh

human

huh huh huh

laughter. signature laugh of Butt-head from cartoon Beavis and Butthead



laughter

hum

1. to make a low inarticulate murmuring sound, sometimes making a melody "to hum a tune", 2. a verb for the sound that bees and hummingbirds make (eg. "the dog barks, the bee hums"), also: buzz

animal music

hummingbird

hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds. They can hover in mid-air and fly backwards, Their English name derives from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats. more

animal bird

humph

interjection used to express doubt or contempt. also: humpf, hmpf

hurrah

exclamation used to express joy, approval, or encouragement. also: hooray

hush

to put at rest, stop talking, make quiet

human

huuuooohar

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: rrrruuuurrrr, moo, low, hrrooonnh, muuhhhrrr. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

huuuuuuuuuugh

cry of a hippopotamus

animal

jabber

to talk fast and indistinctly, imitative origin

human

kashl

(pronounced cashel)sound of a rattly, phlegmy cough

human disease crack

kata-kata

sound of running footsteps ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

human movement

kish-kish

the sound of ice skates during a game of hockey (ref)

ice movement human skating sports

kookaburra

The kookaburra is a genus of birds native to australia whose name is imitative of its call. The call sounds a bit like hysterical human laughter, or maniacal cackling, depending on the species. more info, video

animal bird laughter

Krrrrrrrr

Sound of a skateboarder skateboarding. Skateboarder doing a trick: "Krrrrrrrr, snap! (pause) Crack! Krrrrrrrr..." user Mikemega on answerbag.com

movement human sport toy

lap

to drink, lick with the tongue

human animal liquid eat_drink water

lisp

to speak with sibilant utterance

human

lub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub ...

Sound of a beating heart. This seems the most common spelling, used in medical texts. Also: dup-dup; ba bum; plop-plop; thud-thud; pop-pop; Sometimes the heart is said to throb and throb is also thought to have imitative origin. (Yahoo Answers, 1, 2)

human disease pounding pump heartbeat

marauder

to rove or pillage for spoils. This word may be of imitative origin, imitating the vocalization of a tomcat. More cat sounds

animal human destroy plunder

moan

1. long low inarticulate murmur, 2. (less common) word describing the sound of doves (as in "The moan of doves in immemorial elms" in the poem "Come Down, O Maid" by Alfred Lord Tennyson), 3. (less common) the sound of wind (in the poem "the night wind", by Eugene Field: "... For the wind will moan in its ruefullest tone:

human human pain disease weather

mum

sound with closed lips not wanting to speak

human

mumble

to speak indistinctly

human

munch

to chew steadily. Find more chewing noises

human eat_drink animal

murmur

1. subdued continuous sound (often human voices), 2. to murmur, (less common) verb describing the sound of a swarm of bees or flies (as in "murmuring of innumerable bees", from the poem "Come Down, O Maid" by Alfred Lord Tennyson)

human

mutter

to speak almost inaudibly with closed lips

human

muuhhhrrr

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: rrrruuuurrrr, moo, low, hrrooonnh, huuuooohar. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

natter

to chatter aimlessly

human

nnnghuh nnnguh

Sound of a broken power steering pump in a car Cartalk

automotive engine

om nom nom

vocal sound produced while chewing big bites of something tasty in a hurry, like the way Sesame Street's cookie monster eats (end of clip). Here's another example. Find more chewing noises

eat_drink animal

oof

sound uttered by someone who is punched in the stomach. TheCrosswordSolver

human hit

ooh

interjection used to express amazement, joy, or surprise

human

oomph

1. strength, power (you need to put more oomph in your story) 2. sex appeal 3. a low pitched grunting or thudding sound (Oomph! grunted the boxer when punched in the gut).

human conversation power hit

oooaughoaua

coughing sound, used by a recurring character named Lorraine from the TV show Mad TV. She makes this sound when clearing her throat, also perhaps in disgust and/or satisfaction as well as in times of awkward silence to ease the tension. It is normally accompanied with a saying such as "god that's cute" while she unknowingly destroys the property of others when checking things out. Laymen can make this sound as well in their everyday life to add comedic relief to a conversation making references to Lorraine, as well as to describe something disgusting. Video: Clip 1, Clip 2, Clip 3.

human

oops

interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: woops, whoops

human

ouch

interjection expressing pain or displeasure

human pain

ow

a typical exclamation expressing pain

human pain

phew

1. used to express relief or fatigue 2. used to express disgust at or as if at an unpleasant odor

human

phooey

interjection used to express repudiation or disgust

human

pika

Pika, also repeated pikapika, is Japanese and means shiny or sparkly. It is an example of sound symbolism in Japanese. The name of the Pokemon character Pikachu comes from 'pika' here meaning the sound an electric spark makes, and 'chu', the sound a mouse makes.
Pikachu

light color

poop

Children's euphemism meaning excrement. This word is thought to be of imitative origin

human animal

prattle

To talk or chatter idly or meaninglessly; babble or prate. Possibly of imitative origin. Etymonline

human conversation

psst

sound uttered to get a person's attention without alerting others, to tell a secret for example. often followed by whispering

human

puke

to vomit, of imitative origin

human disease

rabble

to utter words in a rapid and confused manner

human

rail

to complain

human

raspberry

short for raspberry tart, rhyming slang for fart: a sound of contempt made by protruding the tongue between the lips and expelling air forcibly to produce a vibration; broadly : an expression of disapproval or contempt. Also "rasp", "razz" or "Bronx cheer". As in "blowing a raspberry", "making a Bronx cheer". Ref: thesneeze , wikipedia.

human gas crack

rrrruuuurrrr

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: moo, low, hrrooonnh, huuuooohar, muuhhhrrr. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

ruh-roh

First used by Astro on the cartoon The Jetsons and later by Scooby-Doo in the Scooby-Doo cartoon series; both characters are dogs who speak broken English with the insertion of many r's. Wiktionary

human animal

scream

to utter a shrill piercing cry. note: the vocalization of eagles is often called screaming, although according to this wikipedia article, Bald Eagles normally squeak and have a shrill cry, punctuated by grunts, and the scream that is found in films this is usually the call of a Red-tailed Hawk, dubbed into films for dramatic effect.

human animal

screech

1. a high shrill piercing cry usually expressing pain or terror, 2. the high pitched sound the tires of a car make when it turns at high speed

human human pain animal engine automotive movement crack

scritch

a screech

human animal crack

shazam

exclamation used to introduce an extraordinary deed, story, or transformation - - She prayed for his arrival and shazam! There he was. Shazam is also the name of the wizard in Captain Marvel comics and the title of Marvel comic books.

exclamation human voice surprise

sheesh

interjection used to express disbelief or exasperation. As in: Sheesh, stop shouting at me like that!. Alternative to saying Jesus! in order to be less offensive. Also: geez.

human conversation

shlick shlick shlick

the sound of female masturbation Yahoo answers

shoo

interjection used especially in driving away an unwanted animal

human animal

shriek

to utter a loud sharp cry, screech

human animal

shuffle, shuffle, shuffle

footsteps of someone who does not fully lift feet off the ground while walking (old / injured)

walking human

shuh, shuh, shuh

sound of swimming ("Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico", by Verna Aardema)

human animal movement liquid water

shush

command to be quiet, often paired with holding the index finger vertically against the lips

gas

shuush, shuush

sound of skiing through the snow (ref)

movement snow sliding sports

sigh

to emit a deep breath, sometimes expressing weariness

human

skrrreeek

sound of nails on a blackboard (ref)

nails human school scratch crack

sksksksk

Used to express amazement, shock, and excitement, due to it being a common outcome when one types random letters on a keyboard. KnowYourMeme

slam

to beat, shut with a noise

hard_hit

slobber

to behave (feed) in a careless noisy fashion

human eat_drink animal

slurp

to make a sucking noise while eating or drinking

human eat_drink animal

smack

to separate wet lips while lightly sucking, thereby producing a sharp noise

liquid water kiss hug

snap

1. to make a cracking sound, eg. snapping your fingers, or a camera making a photo (sound of the shutter). in the media: Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. They are named after the sound rice krispies make when they are dropped in a bowl of milk 2. the "sound" of someone's pride being hurt. this is another example of "non-auditory onomatopoeia". other examples: bling bling, yoink and shiiin

hard_hit light_hit crack music

sneeze

to make an explosive noise to clear the nostrils, probably of imitative origin, see also atchoo

human disease animal

sniff

to draw air audibly up the nose especially for smelling

human eat_drink animal gas

sniffle

to show or express disdain or scorn. also: snuffle

snore

to snort, to make harsh noises through nose and mouth while sleeping

human animal

sob

to catch the breath convulsively, usually when crying

human

splatt

sound of lightning (in "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" by Dr. Seuss), for the sound of thunder: see also explosion

weather

squabble

a noisy altercation or quarrel usually over petty matters

human

squall

to cry out loudly

human

squeal

to utter a short shrill cry or noise

human animal

squelch

1. to strike or press with crushing force; crush down; squash. 2. to put down, suppress, or silence, as with a crushing retort or argument. 3. to make a splashing sound. 4. to tread heavily in water, mud, wet shoes, etc., with such a sound.

crack human animal liquid

squelch, squerch

sound of walking through mud. from:
We're going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

liquid foot steps

squirm

To twist one's body with snakelike motions from shame or embarrassment, or to evade a question. Possibly imitative

human movement

stzsssssss

A beam of light. Poet Gino Severini referred to light as going 'szszszszszsz' and 'stzsssssss'. Willard Bohn, Modern Visual Poetry

light beam

suru suru

sound of noodles being sucked (manga)

human eat_drink

susurration

sound of whispering

human

swishy swashy

sound of walking through tall grass. from:
We're going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

grass walking

szszszszszsz

A beam of light. Poet Gino Severini referred to light as going 'szszszszszsz' and 'stzsssssss'. Willard Bohn, Modern Visual Poetry

light beam

ta-da

interjection, used as mock fanfare to call attention to something remarkable. also: ta-dah, tada

human

tack, tack, tack

sound of thin high heels or pumps. also: tap, tap, tap

walking human

tattle

1. to gossip, 2. to chatter aimlessly (imitative origin)

human

terwit terwoo

bird vocalization, the cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, whit woo, twit twoo

animal bird

thisshig rrrerrk

sounds coming out of the loudspeaker in the subway during an important announcement (ref)

human voice electronic static noise crack

thong-thong

sound of badminton rackets hitting the shuttle

sports hit

thubalup

sound of a running horse

animal

thud

to hit with a dull sound

hard_hit

thump

1. to strike or beat with or as if with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound, as in a punch during a fight, or the sound of heavy footsteps 2. a verb for sound made by a big engine, as in thumping, chunking engines going.. (from the poem "engineers" by Jimmy Garthwaite, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett)

hard_hit engine

thung

sound of a blow to a metal object (features in a Roy Lichtenstein painting

hard_hit metal

thunk

sound of impact

hard_hit

titter

sound of suppressed giggle

human

tlick

sound of clicking with the tongue ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

human

tlot tlot

sound of horse's hooves. used in the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear;
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?

animal movement

tsk

pronounced as an alveolar click; often in quick repetition, as an exclamation of contempt, disdain, impatience, etc.

tu-whu

bird vocalization, the cry of an owl. also: hoot, hoo hoo, terwit terwoo, twit twoo, whit woo

animal bird

tuckaThuCKtuckaThuCKtucka

sound of engine knocking. Car Talk

automotive engine metal

tuff

sound of a shuriken, or throwing star, hitting a target

fighting metal weapon

twit twoo

bird vocalization, cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo

animal bird

uggh

exclamation expressing pain, frustration or annoyance

human human pain

ugh

1. sound of coughing, 2. used to indicate the sound of a cough or grunt or to express disgust or horror

human human disease

uh-huh

interjection used to indicate affirmation, agreement, or gratification, also: huh

human

uh-oh

interjection used to indicate dismay or concern

human

wahoo

interjection used to express exuberance or enthusiasm or to attract attention

human

weep

to shed tears

human

Whargharble

Sound of a canine syphoning drink from high-velocity hydropneumatic system, or sprinkler. Also: Wharrgarbl. Example, KnowYourMeme. Thanks, Joshua!

Animal liquid eat_drink water dog jet spray mouth

whee

1. pig vocalization, also: oink, grunt 2. (human) exclamation expressing positive excitement.

animal

wheeze

to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound

human disease animal

whew

exclamation of astonishment or relief making a whistling sound

human

whimper

to moan

human

whine

to utter a low somewhat shrill protracted sound

human

whisper

to speak softly under one's breath

human

whit woo

cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo

animal bird

whizz

a humming, hissing sound

gas

whoa

1. command to stop (horse) 2. command to slow an action or thought, often used to express alarm or astonishment

human animal

whooping cough

an infection of the respiratory system caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (or B. pertussis). It's characterized by severe coughing spells that end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in

human disease

whoops

interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: oops, woops

human

whump

the sound of colliding bodies, a slamming sound, or the sound of a punch to the jaw. Find more hit/ punch words

hard_hit

whumpa-whumpa-whumpa-whumpa

sound of a helicopter. Find more helicopter sounds

engines helicopter movement

whumpf

When the fracture of a weak snow layer causes an upper layer to collapse, making a whumpfing sound. Whumpf has been adopted as a technical avalanche term to describe the sound of a collapsing snowpack when you cross the snow. For instance, "we got a lot of whumpfing today", or "the snowpack whumpfed like rolling thunder just before it released and caught us." Avalanche Encyclopedia

Weather snow movement hit

whup-whup-whup

sound of a helicopter. Find more helicopter sounds

engines helicopter movement

woops

interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: oops, whoops

human

wow

interjection used to express amazement

human

wubba lubba dub-dub

Catchphrase used by Rick from the cartoon Rick & Morty Fandom

wuh-uh-uh-uh

the sound of someone muttering, grunting, in protest (Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa, by Verna Aardema)

human

yackety-yak

noisy talk. Alternative spelling: 'yakety yak'. Also the title of a famous song by doo-wop group the Coasters (1958). Coasters

human music

yadda yadda

boring or empty talk - often used interjectionally especially in recounting words regarded as too dull or predictable to be worth repeating. also: yada yada

yahoo

1. interjection used to express positive excitement or to attract attention, also: yoo-hoo, 2. popular name for the Grey-crowned Babbler (see babbler)

human animal bird

yammer

to lament

human

yawp

1. to utter a sharp cry; yelp. 2. to talk loudly, raucously, or coarsely.

human human pain

yay

interjection used to express exuberant delight or triumph

human

yeeha, yeehaw, yee-haw

the traditional cry of a cowboy, often as an expression of positive excitement, similar to yahoo

human

yeow

exclamation expressing pain

human pain

yikes

interjection expressing shock and alarm, often for humorous effect: "Yikes! It is cold!"

yippee

interjection used to express exuberant delight or triumph

human

yoink

the "sound" of someone stealing something. the word is spoken to make obvious or humorous the playful theft of an item in front of others. (e.g. "you shouldn't leave your wallet lying around like that...Yoink!". used often in the cartoon series "the Simpsons")

misc human animal movement

yoo-hoo

interjection used to attract attention, also: yahoo

human

yowl

to cry loudly with pain, caterwaul, howl

human pain animal vocalization

yucchh

exclamation expressing disgust

human eat_drink

yuck

exclamation expressing disgust. Sometimes "yuck yuck" is used as the sound of laughter, but for that "yuk yuk" is used more often

human laughter eat_drink

yuk yuk

laughter. similar in flavor to "har har", but more old fashioned and more hick

human laughter

yummy

highly attractive or pleasing, exclamation to express joy derived from the prospect of eating tasty food

human eat_drink

zchunk

sound of a defibrillator (ref)

medical human electronic hit electric shock therapy heart attack

zing

a shrill humming sound, such as from a bullet or vibrating string. As a verb: to move very quickly, especially while making a high pitched sound. As a noun used figuratively, meaning zest, vitality, or (in cuisine) spicy flavor. In comedy, zing is sometimes used as an interjection to acknowledge a witty comeback. The witty comeback itself is then called a zinger.

misc metal movement

zip

to travel with a sharp hissing or humming sound

movement

zoom

to speed along with a low hum or buzz. also: to focus a camera on an object using a zoom lens (to 'zoom in' or 'zoom out'), also imitative of sound when motorized.

engine movement

zzzz

the sound of a person or animal sleeping

human animal


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