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

ack-ack-ack-ackawoooo-ack-ack-ack

Fox vocalization. Rarely heard guttural chattering with occasional yelps and howls, mostly heard when animals are in close proximity to one another. Popular Science

ah-ooh-ga

other spellings: ah-ooo-ga, ah-ooh-gah, oo-ga. 1. Klaxon sound signaling "dive" in 1940's US navy submarines ref 2. Sound produced by horn on antique automobiles such as Ford Model-A ref1, ref2

automotive horn

ahh ha ha

laughter, not really different from the ordinairy hahaha, but this one includes an attempt to capture the breath before the burst of laughter (ahh-)

laughter

babbler

large family of bird species. Example: the gray-crowned babbler (Australia), also sometimes called the yahoo, after one of its calls. The name babbler or chatterer may come from the birds' continuous raucous babbling/chattering when in groups. about this bird

animal bird

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.

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

beep

bird , automobile horn, or computer generated tone. "Beep beep!" is also the signature call of the Road Runner character (a bird) in the Looney Tunes cartoons. Find more tones

animal bird automotive tone

bellbird

(Anthornis melanura) bird species found in New Zealand. Maori language name Korimako. The bellbird forms a significant component of the famed New Zealand dawn chorus of bird song that was much noted by early European settlers. It has a bell-like song. about this bird

animal bird

blast

an explosion or violent detonation, a violent gust of wind, or the effect of such a gust Find more explosion words

explosion

bleat

1. to utter or play loudly or harshly, 2. the natural cry of a sheep, goat or calf 3. to talk complainingly or in a whining tone of voice

animal

bleep

electronically generated tone. "to bleep" often means "to mask inappropriate language on television or radio"

tone

bobolink

bird species named by their typical call. about this bird

animal bird

boop

A light tap or bump on the nose in a cute way. This word is an ideophone, meaning that it evokes the idea of sound to describe phenomena that do not necessarily have sound. While not technically onomatopoeia, it is used like onomatopoeia. know your meme

animal body meme

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

brahnk

bullfrog vocalization (When the fireflies come by Jonathan London).

animal frog quack croak

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

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

chachalaca

bird species name, see plain chachalaca

animal bird

chat

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

human animal bird

chatterer

1. a person who chatters 2. common name for bird species, see babbler

animal bird

chiffchaff

name of bird species, named by its song. about this bird

animal bird

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

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

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

clinker

very hard kind of brick, named after the sound produced when struck

hard_hit

common poor-will

(Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars, found from British Columbia and southeastern Alberta, through the western United States to northern Mexico. Call: a loud "poor-will." about this bird

animal bird

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

cricket

name of chirping insect, grasshopper

animal crack

croaker

Common name for Sciaenidae, a family of fish. Also called drums or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make. The sounds are produced by the beating of abdominal muscles against the swim bladder. more

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

cuckcoo

cuckoo, bird species Cuculus Canorus, named by its cry. Also, a type of clock named after the bird. link1 (bird), link2 (clock)

animal bird

curlew

any of various largely brownish chiefly migratory birds (especially genus Numenius) having long legs and a long slender down-curved bill and related to the sandpipers and snipes. name is imitative of the sound it makes. about this bird

animal bird

currawong

bird species name, see pied currawong

animal bird

dickcissel

name of bird species (Spiza americana). small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. voice: From an open perch in a field, this bird's song is a sharp "dick dick" followed by a buzzed "cissel", also transcribed as "skee-dlees chis chis chis" or "dick dick ciss ciss ciss". about this bird

animal bird

dikdik

small antelope that lives in the bushes of East Africa, Angola and namibia. Dik-diks are named for the alarm calls of the females, which make a dik-dik, or zik-zik sound. In addition to the female's alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill whistling sound.

dirnt

Sound of a bass-guitar. From: Mike Dirnt, the bassist of the rock band Green Day. Dirnt's birth name is Michael Ryan Pritchard. According to Wikipedia, at school, he would would often play "air-bass", pretending to pluck the strings, while making the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt". As a result, his schoolmates began to call him "Mike Dirnt". See also Yahoo Answers. Related: wub wub, wob wob and other sounds of bass in dubstep music.

dodogyuuun

the menacing cry of Arceus, God of the Pokemon world

comics television videogames

Eeyore

Eeyore is the name of the donkey from Winnie-the-Pooh. The name is onomatopoeia for the braying sound made by a donkey, typically written as hee haw in American English.
Eeyore

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

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

fillip

sound of snapping the fingers

music

finch

name for a family of passerine birds (fringilla), whose call is often written as "fink fink", "pink pink", or "spink spink" about this bird. may be of imitiative origin

animal bird

fizz

1. A hissing or bubbling sound. 2. Effervescence.3. An effervescent / carbonated beverage
"plop, plop, fizz, fizz" used to be the slogan in Alka Seltzer commercials for many years. 4. 2. informal ( often foll by out ) to fail or die out, esp after a promising start. Also spelled as fizzle

explosion gas liquid eat_drink water

flicker

1. to flutter, hover, vibrate 2. bird species name, see northern flicker

animal bird crack

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

freh, freh, freh

sound of an animal (particularly a dog/wolf/coyote) shaking water off its fur ("Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico", by Verna Aardema)

animal liquid

gada, gada, gada

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

music

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

gecko

name of lizard species, comes from Malay word "gekoq", imitiative of its call. (More about geckos)

animal

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

glop

sound something liquidy and unappetizing hitting a dinner plate

human eat_drink

gnash

to strike teeth together

human animal

gnaw

to bite persistently

human eat_drink animal

gong

metallic disk used as a percussive musical instrument named by the sound produced when struck

music

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

growl

a low, guttural, menacing sound made by an animal, such as a bear

animal

grump

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

human

gunko, gunko

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

engine

gwuf, gwuf, gwuf

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

human movement

gyuh gyuh,gyuh

signature laugh of sherrif Roscoe P. Coltrane in tv series The Dukes of Hazzard

laughter

ha-ha-ha-HA-ha

emphasis on the fourth Ha (louder and higher pitch) and first three ha's gradually go up in pitch. signature laugh of cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. Youtube

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

hackigi-gi-gi-gi

laughter. signature laugh of Ed Bickel, from 3 south

laughter

hee!

laughter. sometimes slightly naughty, e.g. when used after pulling a naughty prank. Also used with multiple hees: heeheehee!

heh, heh!

laughter. sometimes perverted, or meaning "that's not really funny". Usually, "heh" is a quiet laughing sound, not laughing out loud. Heh heh may also be a good transcription of the signature laugh of Beavis, from cartoon Beavis and Butthead. Sometimes simply a more faint, private laugh

laughter

hiccup

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

human eat_drink

hiss

to make a sharp sibilant sound, produced by geese and snakes, or a cat (when angry/scared). More cat sounds

gas vocalization

ho ho ho!

laughter. signature laugh of Santaclaus

laughter

hoopoe

name of bird species. imitative origin, but the hoopoe's call is actually a trisyllabic "oop-oop-oop". link (video)

animal bird

hottentot

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

human

houyhnhnm

Pronounced "Whin-ems," like a horse's whinny, the Houyhnhnm are a race of intelligent horses in book 4 of Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels

animal misc

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

kata-kata

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

human movement

katydid

insect family also known as bush-cricket, long-horned grasshopper, named for the sound produced by the male (north american species)

animal

kea

(Nestor notabilis) name of a parrot species found in the mountains of New Zealand. Raucous cries of "keeaa" often give away the presence of these highly social and inquisitive birds. about this bird

animal bird

killdeer

bird species named by their typical call

animal bird

kirik

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

metal crack

kite

old english name for bird of prey, usually a small hawk - probably imitative of its shrill plaintive cry

animal bird

kittiwake

name for bird genus Rissa, two closely related seabird species in the gull family Laridae, the Black-legged Kittiwake (R. tridactyla) and the Red-legged Kittiwake (R. brevirostris). The name is derived from its call, a shrill "kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake"

animal bird

knack

sharp blow or sound

hard_hit

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

kra, ka, ka, hi

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

music

Krrrrrrrr

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

movement human sport toy

kut-kut-kut

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

animal bird

kwok

sound of an earthenware pot being smashed to pieces on the ground ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

hard_hit

mkgnao

cat vocalization, as used in James Joyce's Ulysses. also spelled mrkgnao; mrkrgnao

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

mutter

to speak almost inaudibly with closed lips

human

na na, na na na

interjection. melodic childish taunting phrase, expressing a feeling of superiority or contempt for another. Meaning is similar to sticking your tongue out or laughing at someone. Often pronounced in a nasal voice. see also: neener, neener; nyah, nyah / nya, nya

laughter

naa

goat vocalization

animal

natter

to chatter aimlessly

human

neener, neener

interjection, typically used to taunt, ridicule, or boast in a childish manner. Verbal way of sticking your tongue out or laughing at someone. Often pronounced in a nasal voice. See also: nyah, nyah; na na, na na na. WikiAnswers

laughter

neow

sound of individual legato notes on an electric guitar, as in the guitar part in verse of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit": neow neow, neow neow. often combined with playing "airguitar"

music

northern flicker

bird species name (Colaptes auratus). medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, is one of the few woodpecker species that migrates, and is the only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground. The song of the Northern Flicker is a loud wick wick wick wick or (according to some sources) a squeaky flick-a, flick-a as in its name. about this bird

animal bird

nyah, nyah

interjection, typically used to taunt, ridicule, or boast in a childish manner. Verbal way of sticking your tongue out or laughing at someone. Often pronounced in a nasal voice. See also: neener, neener; na na, na na na; nya, nya

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

owl

Nocturnal bird of prey. The name is thought to have imitative origins, imitating the owl's vocalizations. Wikipedia

bird animal hoo

owooooah

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

animal

pee-oo-wee

bird species name, especially the eastern wood pewee. about this bird

animal bird

pewee

Any of eight species of birds of the genus Contopus (family Tyrannidae); it is named for its call, which is monotonously repeated from an open perch. In North America a sad, clear "pee-oo-wee" announces the presence of the eastern wood pewee (C. virens), while a blurry "peeurrr" is the call of the western wood pewee (C. sordidulus). about this bird. also spelled peewee

animal bird

pickle-pee

sound of a fife ("the ceremonial band" by James Reeves, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett). a fife is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore

music

pied currawong

(Strepera graculina) large, mostly black bird, with a bright yellow eye, found in Australasia. voice: The main call is a loud "currawong", which gives the bird its name. Other frequent sounds include deep croaks and a wolf whistle about this bird

animal bird

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

pip

1. to peep or chirp, as a chick does. 2. A short, high-pitched radio signal 3. pip-pip-pip: sound of footsteps ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

animal bird movement

poof

1. interjection used to indicate a sudden vanishing: The magician waved a wand, and poof! The birds disappeared! (often with a little cloud of smoke) In this sense poof may be imitative. 2. effeminate man or male homosexual. In this sense poof is not imitative

gas air movement misc

pop

sound of rapping, knocking, or explosive. 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. Find more explosions.

explosion hard_hit light_hit

potato-potato-potato

Sound of a poorly running motorcycle engine. The sound emphasis is on the 'p' and 't' rather than the vowels. Janet writes: "My sister used the above expression to describing a problem she had on starting a new motorcycle - it was jerking along as if it had 'kangaroo juice' in the tank. She assumed a "Gangnam Style" stance and dance to illustrate it, while saying "there I was going 'potato-potato-potato' - what a show-up!" She says that this expression is often used within her group of motorcycling friends, usually in connection with novice riders, although it may be in use more widely across the UK. The sound emphasis seems to be on the 'p' and 't' rather than the vowels." (thanks Janet!)

engine movement

puh-puh-puh

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

hard_hit

rattlesnake

The word 'rattlesnake' is the words 'rattle' and 'snake' joined together. Rattlesnakes receive their name for the rattle located at the end of their tails. The word 'rattle' is likely of imitative origin.

red knot

(Calidris canutus) is a medium sized shorebird. name may be imitative of the birds vocalization, sometimes described as a soft "knut", or a soft "quer-wer", though usually the bird is silent. link1, link2

animal bird

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

screamer

any of a group of South American bird species (Horned Screamer, Crested Screamer, and Black-necked Screamer) with a loud high-pitched call, which may explain the name. about this bird

animal bird

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

shuh, shuh, shuh

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

human animal movement liquid water

sifaka

The sifaka is a genus of lemur found in Madagascar. The name is an onomatopoeia of their "shi-fak" alarm call. Wikipedia

animal africa

skrrreeek

sound of nails on a blackboard (ref)

nails human school scratch crack

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

snap-hiss

The ignition of a lightsaber in Star Wars novels written by Timothy Zahn. Also: pssshhew, Tshww, PHCKSHIIIIiooW

weapon sword

snarl

to make an angry sound while showing teeth

animal

sora

(Porzana carolina) A small, secretive bird of freshwater marshes, the Sora is the most common and widely distributed rail in North America. voice: Call is a long, high descending whinny. Also a two-noted "sor-AH" call, with second note higher. about this bird

animal bird

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

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

t'chi

sound of an arrow being shot from a bow ("Sebgugugu the Glutton: A Bantu Tale from Rwanda", by Verna Aardema)

weapon

tch, tch, tch

sound of chopping off branches of wood ("Sebgugugu the Glutton: A Bantu Tale from Rwanda", by Verna Aardema)

hard_hit light_hit

thwoorp

Sound produced by quickly opening a folding fan. Urban Dictionary. Made famous by drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova

tinkle

a gentle, ringing sound. Also means "to urinate" (in sort of a childish way) possibly because of the sound.

metal liquid wet water pee

tintinnabulation

sound of bells

metal

tlick

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

human

trumpeter

bird species name, see gray-winged trumpeter

animal bird

tuk-tuk

Common name for auto rickshaw, imitative of the sound of the small two-stroke engine (thailandtuktuk.net). Also called trishaw, auto, rickshaw, autorick, bajaj, rick, tricycle, mototaxi, or baby taxi.

engine automotive

veery

(Catharus fuscescens) bird species belonging to the larger group of thrushes. voice: Song a resonating, ethereal "da-vee-ur, vee-ur, veer, veer," descending slightly in pitch. Call note is a nasal "phew" or "veer" about this bird

animal bird

whirr

to move swiftly with a vibratory sound, eg of a small electric motor, electronic film transport in an analog photo camera.

engine movement

whooping crane

bird species name, the tallest North American bird, an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound and call

animal bird

woah, oh, oh, oh!

signature laugh of cartoon character Elmer Fudd

laughter

woo-hoo!

signature laugh of cartoon character Daffy Duck, often uttered when Daffy has to escape from someone he has just pulled a prank on

laughter

woop woop

Sound of a police car in the United States. Police often use the siren intermittently. Also spelled whoop whoop. This onomatopoeia is used in the chorus of the 1993 hip hop track Sound of da Police by KRS-One. Hear a police car

alarm tone music

wub wub

The sound of the signature repetitive bass (wobble bass) in 'dubstep' music (a kind of electronic dance music). Other dubstep sounds: WOB WOB WOB WEB WEEEEEB WEEB WOOOB WOOOOB breeeeaaaaa breaaaaaaa WOBB WOBB, nehnehweeh, YOI YOI YOI WAHBWUHB - ref. Related: The sound of a bass guitar dirnt

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

yeeha, yeehaw, yee-haw

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

human

yodel

to sing by suddenly changing from a natural voice to a falsetto and back; also: to shout or call in a similar manner

music


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