beep

American  

[beep] / bip /

noun

beeps plural

1. a short, relatively high-pitched tone produced by a horn, electronic device, or the like as a signal, summons, or warning.

2. one of the periodic signals sounded by a beeper.

---

verb (used without object)

beeps, present (3rd person singular) beeped, past participle, past beeping present participle

1. to make or emit such a sound.

   When the timer beeps, take the cake out of the oven.

verb (used with object)

beeps, present (3rd person singular) beeped, past participle, past beeping present participle

1. to sound (a horn, warning signal, etc.).

   impatient drivers beeping their horns.

2. to announce, warn, summon, etc., by beeping.

   The doctor was beeped to call the hospital.

beep British  

/ biːp /

noun

1. a short high-pitched sound, esp one made by the horn of a car, bicycle, etc, or by electronic apparatus

---

verb

1. to make or cause to make such a noise

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• beeper
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• beeps
  plural

Participles

• beeping
  present
• beeped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• beep
  simple
• beeps
  simple
• have beeped
  perfect
• has beeped
  perfect
• am beeping
  progressive
• are beeping
  progressive
• is beeping
  progressive
• have been beeping
  perfect progressive
• has been beeping
  perfect progressive

Past

• beeped
  simple
• had beeped
  perfect
• was beeping
  progressive
• were beeping
  progressive
• had been beeping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will beep
  simple
• will have beeped
  perfect
• will be beeping
  progressive
• will have been beeping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of beep

First recorded in 1925–30; imitative

Explanation

A beep is a brief warning sound. You might give a quick beep on your car horn to let a bicyclist know you're passing her on the road. Your friend's voice mail might say, "Leave a message after the beep!" and your smoke alarm might emit an annoying series of beeps when its battery is dying. In either case, you'll hear a high-pitched, brief tone. The word is imitative — it sounds like what it means — and relatively new, only as old as the car horns it imitates. Beep was first an interjection in the 1920s, and a noun and a verb by the end of the decade.

Example Sentences

And, I promise, if the apocalypse actually comes, you can still beep me.”

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

She added: “I promise if the apocalypse actually comes you can still beep me.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

When she heard the beep to start, Vonn dug her pink ski poles into the snow and set off on a run that already ranked as one of the most audacious in Olympic history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

The funkiest thing a “radioactive shrimp” would do—that is, if you put a radiation sensor over such a crustacean, says Pillai—is beep.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2025

We’re heading down to the dining hall for 18:30— Dinner when Gale’s communicuff begins to beep.

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins