onomatopoeia

[ on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‑-mah-tuh‑ ]

noun

1. the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.
2. a word so formed.
3. the use of imitative and naturally suggestive words for rhetorical, dramatic, or poetic effect.

onomatopoeia

/ ˌɒnəˌmætəpəʊˈɛtɪk; ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə /

noun

1. the formation of words whose sound is imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated, such as hiss, buzz, and bang
2. the use of such words for poetic or rhetorical effect

Derived Forms

• ˌonoˌmatoˈpoeically, adverb
• ˌonoˌmatoˈpoeic, adjective

Other Words From

• ono·mato·poeic on·o·mat·o·po·et·ic [on-, uh, -mat-, uh, -poh-, et, -ik], adjective
• ono·mato·poei·cal·ly ono·mato·po·eti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of onomatopoeia¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiía “making of words,” from onomato- (stem of ónoma “name”) + poi- (stem of poieîn “to make”) + -ia -ia; -onym, poet

Word History and Origins

Origin of onomatopoeia¹

C16: via Late Latin from Greek onoma name + poiein to make

Example Sentences

The song's all about teetering off the precipice of desire, and the title's an onomatopoeia for your heartbeat.

From BBC

Because there is no onomatopoeia that could distill the noises this animal makes.

From Seattle Times

One type is onomatopoeia; for example, words that describe a cat’s meow or a rooster’s crow are similar across many languages.

From New York Times

An even more challenging and creative way to use body percussion is to create onomatopoeia in accordance with the lyrics, mimicking or relating to the sounds presented in the rhyme.

From Literature

Among his voluminous output, he is most proud of his 1970s “Kotoba Asobi Uta” series, which utilized singsong alliterations and onomatopoeia, as the title “Word Play Songs” implies.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• imitation
• parallel
• reflection
• repetition
• reverberation

More About Onomatopoeia

What is onomatopoeia?

An onomatopoeia is the forming of a word by imitating the sound the word is referring to, as in bang, meaning “a loud, explosive sound,” and meow, meaning “the sound a cat makes.”

The words themselves are also known as onomatopoeias.

Many commonly used words are onomatopoeias. Onomatopoeias are used to give a sense of action or intensity to writing or drawings.

Why is onomatopoeia important?

CRASH! BOOM! KAPOW! OINK? Onomatopoeias are fun words that give a little pizzazz to writing or drawings.

The first records of the term onomatopoeia come from around 1570. It comes from the Greek onomatopoiía, meaning “making of words.”

Onomatopoeia has been used in many works of writing and sometimes shows up in artwork. Most onomatopoeias are words that represent sounds, such as animal calls (cows moo, birds tweet) and other noises (woosh, boom, and thump). But onomatopoeias can describe actions as well, such as poof, splash, and sizzle.

In writing, onomatopoeias are used to enhance a sentence or provide atmosphere to a scene, as in The bull crashed through the china shop. You can almost hear the china crashing in a way that you don’t in The bull ran through the china shop.

If you watch cartoons or read comic books, you have probably seen a good example of how onomatopoeia can be used to increase intensity or excitement. Whether Batman is punching the Joker with a heroic “pow!” or Daffy Duck is blowing himself up with a loud “kaboom!” onomatopoeias are providing the sound effects of our everyday lives.

Did you know ... ?

Onomatopoeia is almost cliché in superhero comic books. Comic books have also featured some truly unique onomatopoeias, such as zonk, bamf, and even vjjjwommmwwwb.

What are real life examples of onomatopoeia?

This drawing gives some examples of common onomatopoeias:

<img loading="lazy" src="https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/05/shutterstock_238794214.jpg" width="446" height="330" />

EF English Live / Shutterstock

Many people are big fans of onomatopoeia as long as they don’t actually have to spell it.

Is the name of every pokemon an onomatopoiea? Because that's the actual sound that it makes

— 🍬 juniper 🍬 (@juniper_mint) February 19, 2020

A truck honked twice and I yelled back "SNERT SNERT," which is terrible onomatopoiea, honestly

— zusty ebooks (@zusty_ebooks) February 4, 2016

What other words are related to onomatopoeia?

• sound
• noise
• action
• intensity
• sound effect
• comic book

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

The word bang is an example of onomatopoeia.