ding

¹ American  

[ding] / dɪŋ /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to make a ringing sound.

2. to speak about insistently.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to make a ringing sound.

2. to talk insistently.

noun

1. a ringing sound.

ding ² American  

[ding] / dɪŋ /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause surface damage to; dent.

   Flying gravel had dinged the car's fenders.

2. to strike with force; hit.

   The catcher was dinged on the shoulder by a wild throw.

3. to blackball.

   Only one freshman was dinged by the fraternity.

---

noun

1. dent; nick.

   The surfboard has a few dings in it from scraping over rocks.

ding ¹ British  

/ dɪŋ /

verb

1. to ring or cause to ring, esp with tedious repetition

2. (tr) another word for din 1

---

noun

1. an imitation or representation of the sound of a bell

2. informal a party or social event

ding ² British  

/ dɪŋ /

verb

1. to strike; dash down

2. to surpass

---

Etymology

Origin of ding¹

First recorded in 1575–85; ding-dong

Origin of ding²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb dingen, dengen, dengen “to beat, scourge,” probably from Old English gedingan “to throw oneself with force”; akin to Old English dencgan “to knock, ding,” Old Norse dengja “to beat, hammer”

Explanation

A ding is the sound that a bell makes — a kind of metallic, musical ringing. When you hear the ding of the doorbell, you'll know that the pizza delivery guy is here. Bells, telephones, and doorbells all make a ding, and the word is a verb as well: "I'm going to run when I hear the dinner bell ding — I want to be first in line." Another kind of ding is a small dent or nick in a surface, the kind you might get in your car's bumper during a minor fender bender. Ding falls in the category of imitative words, which sound like their meaning.

Example Sentences

The other risk—one that has already caused the market to ding CoreWeave stock —concerns financing.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

It may be hard not to feel like a lower credit limit or a temporary ding to your score is a reflection on you, but it’s really not.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 3, 2026

“My goal is to not hear the ding at 10,000 feet, because I’m already asleep.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

Jacob Elordi, “Frankenstein” “The ding on Sean Penn is that he’s gotten too self-serious. What a treat to see him channel his righteous energy into ‘One Battle After Another’s’ loathsome, hilarious villain.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025

“Because every person who walks into the store isn’t my brother, and I can’t keep looking up every time that door goes ding and being disappointed.”

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley