sounding

¹

[ soun-ding ]

adjective

, Archaic.

1. emitting or producing a sound or sounds.
2. resounding or sonorous.
3. having an imposing sound; high-sounding; pompous.

noun

1. a verbal contest or confrontation, as among teenage boys or street-gang members, in which the trading of often elaborate insults and invective takes the place of physical violence.

sounding

²

[ soun-ding ]

noun

1. Often soundings. the act of measuring the depth of an area of water with or as if with a lead and line.
2. soundings,
   1. an area of water that can be sounded with an ordinary lead and line, the depth being 100 fathoms (180 meters) or less.
   2. the results or measurement obtained by sounding with a lead and line.
3. Meteorology. any vertical penetration of the atmosphere for scientific measurement, especially a radiosonde observation.

sounding

¹

/ ˈsaʊndɪŋ /

noun

1. sometimes plural the act or process of measuring depth of water or examining the bottom of a river, lake, etc, as with a sounding line
2. an observation or measurement of atmospheric conditions, as made using a radiosonde or rocketsonde
3. often plural measurements taken by sounding
4. plural a place where a sounding line will reach the bottom, esp less than 100 fathoms in depth
5. on soundings
   in waters less than 100 fathoms in depth
6. off soundings
   in waters more than 100 fathoms in depth

sounding

²

/ ˈsaʊndɪŋ /

adjective

1. resounding; resonant
2. having an imposing sound and little content; pompous

   sounding phrases

Derived Forms

• ˈsoundingly, adverb

Other Words From

• sounding·ly adverb
• sounding·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sounding¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; sound ¹ + -ing ²

Origin of sounding²

First recorded 1300–50; Middle English; sound ³, -ing ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. off soundings, Nautical. in waters beyond the 100-fathom (180-meter) depth.
2. on soundings, Nautical. in waters less than 100 fathoms (180 meters) deep, so that the lead can be used.

Example Sentences

Most lawmakers tend to all sing the same tune in their guarded echo chamber, ignoring different sounding appeals from the public.

From Los Angeles Times

They treated it all like some terrible board game when they should have been sounding the alarms and giving the most menacing threat in American history the editorial weight it deserved.

From Salon

A band composed of members of the Royal Marine Band, the Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums and the Police Scotland and Federation Pipe Band provided arrangements and the sounding of the Last Post.

From BBC

In Kyiv, there has been only one night since Sept. 1 without the wail of air-raid alerts sounding from smartphone apps.

From Los Angeles Times

So far the biggest voice specifically sounding the alarm about laughing our way into autocracy has been Marc Maron, who shared a post titled “The Democratic Idea” on that same Monday.

From Salon

Related Words

• analysis
• case
• examination
• hearing
• inquiry
• inspection
• probe
• research
• review
• scrutiny
• search
• study
• survey