croak

[ krohk ]

verb (used without object)

1. to utter a low-pitched, harsh cry, as the sound of a frog or a raven.
2. to speak with a low, rasping voice.
3. Slang. to die.
4. to talk despondingly; prophesy trouble or evil; grumble.

verb (used with object)

1. to utter or announce by croaking.
2. Slang. to kill.

noun

1. the act or sound of croaking.

croak

/ krəʊk /

verb

1. intr (of frogs, crows, etc) to make a low, hoarse cry
2. to utter (something) in this manner

   he croaked out the news

3. intr to grumble or be pessimistic
4. slang.
   1. intr to die
   2. tr to kill

noun

1. a low hoarse utterance or sound

Derived Forms

• ˈcroaky, adjective
• ˈcroakiness, noun
• ˈcroakily, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of croak¹

1550–60; earlier croke, probably imitative; compare Old English cræcetian (of a raven) to croak

Word History and Origins

Origin of croak¹

Old English crācettan; related to Old Norse krāka a crow; see creak

Example Sentences

The marine ecologist at Cornell University is listening to a humpback whale song, her fingers bobbing like a conductor’s to each otherworldly croak and whine.

From Science News

Croak, a quantitative analytics PhD with a background at AT&T and more than six years at Google, has a steep climb ahead to establish trust in the firm’s AI ethics work, which WSJ says will include health-related tech issues.

From Digiday

This dip in sensitivity falls just between the two most prominent frequencies of a male green tree frog’s croak, suggesting that inflated lungs don’t affect a female’s ability to hear her own species.

From Science News

When Tony takes over Danny's body, his voice begins to croak and he shakes his pointer finger for emphasis.

From The Daily Beast

And then I sit on a bench facing the grave and a raven says something in a croak a few steps from me.

From The Daily Beast

But dey can't hang me, no sah, dey can't, 'cause mah man croak two weeks later.

From Project Gutenberg

He will awake to drive away the crows which croak around the mountain.

From Project Gutenberg

By my sword, the Sweetheart of the Faith, never did frogs at a mid-summer drought croak more frightfully than those scamps.

From Project Gutenberg

Suppose we'd croak this man in th' hot par-rt av th' p'litical fight; what happens?

From Project Gutenberg

From a small almost black lake rose, like a mysterious wail, the plaintive croak of tiny frogs.

From Project Gutenberg