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2020-10-08 - Sounds & Human Voice, pt. 2

Terms in this set (26)

silent
/ˈsaɪlənt/

They asked him several questions but he remained silent.
The house was completely silent.
silent films/movies (films made before sound was introduced)
without noise or not talking; used for people and things that are perhaps unexpectedly or surprisingly quiet
quiet
/ˈkwaɪət/

It's very quiet here at night. (no noise)
I had a quiet day at work. (not much activity)
My dad was a quiet man. (didn't speak a lot)
without much noise or activity, or not talking much
noiseless
/ˈnɔɪzləs/

He closed the door noiselessly behind him. (with no sound at all)
without noise (usually used as an adverb in formal or literary style)
soundless
/ˈsaʊndləs/

The object vanished soundlessly into the night sky. Was it an alien spacecraft?
without sound (usually used as an adverb in formal or literary style to indicate an unexpected lack of sound)
racket
/ˈrækɪt/

Stop making that terrible racket!
(informal) a loud unpleasant noise (synonym din)
chime
/tʃaɪm/

I heard the clock chime.
Eight o'clock had already chimed.
chime something The clock chimed midday.
(of a bell or a clock) to ring; to show the time by making a ringing sound

ex.: a big public clock on a building sounding the hour
clang
/klæŋ/

Bells were clanging in the tower.
+ adj. The gates clanged shut.
clang something + adv./prep. The trams clanged their way along the streets.
to make a loud ringing sound like that of metal being hit; to cause something to make this sound (synonym clank)

ex.: a big bell ringing, a hollow metal object being struck
clatter
/ˈklætə(r)/

He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor.
Her cup clattered in the saucer.
The cart clattered over the cobbles.
She heard him clattering around downstairs.
if hard objects do that sound, they knock together and make a loud noise;

to move making a loud noise like hard objects knocking together

ex.: a metal pan falling onto a concrete floor
ring
/rɪŋ/

There was a ring at the door.
He gave a ring at the door.
the sound a bell makes

ex.: a small bell, a telephone
thud (noun)
/θʌd/

His head hit the floor with a dull thud.
She could hear the thud of her own heartbeat sounding heavily in her ears.
She felt her heart give an extra thud.
The boot made a dull thud as it hit the ground.
a sound like the one that is made when a heavy object hits something else

ex.: a heavy object falling onto a carpeted floor
pound
/paʊnd/

pound at/against/on something Heavy rain pounded on the roof.
Someone was pounding at the door.
pound away (at/against/on something) The factory's machinery pounded away day and night.
pound somebody/something (with something) She pounded him with her fists.
to hit something/somebody hard many times, especially in a way that makes a lot of noise (synonym hammer)
sizzle
/ˈsɪzl/

sizzling sausages
to make the sound of food frying in hot oil
ring out

A number of shots rang out.
The church bells rang out across the valley.
His deep voice rang out for all to hear.
to be heard loudly and clearly
toot
/tuːt/

the sound of horns tooting
A horn tooted outside signaling the arrival of my taxi.
toot something Toot your horn to let them know we're here.
when a car horn toots or you toot it, it makes a short, high sound
wail
/weɪl/

The little girl was wailing miserably.
The cat was wailing to be let out.
+ speech "It's broken," she wailed.
wail (about something) There's no point wailing about something that happened so long ago.
Ambulances raced by with sirens wailing.
to make a long, loud, high noise because you are sad or in pain;

to cry or complain about something in a loud high voice (synonym moan);
hammer
/ˈhæmə(r)/

Someone was hammering at the door.
(figurative) I was so scared my heart was hammering (= beating very fast) in my chest.
hammer something He hammered the door with his fists.
to hit something hard many times, especially so that it makes a loud noise (synonym pound)
eerie
/ˈɪəri/

She heard the eerie noise of the wind howling through the trees.
I found the silence underwater really eerie.
He had an eerie feeling that he was not alone.
strange, mysterious and frightening (synonym uncanny)
deafening
/ˈdefnɪŋ/

The team was greeted by deafening applause from the audience.
The noise of the machine was deafening.
The government's response to the report has been a deafening silence (= it was very noticeable that nothing was said or done).
extremely loud
grate
/ɡreɪt/

The rusty hinges grated as the gate swung back.
grate something (+ adv./prep.) He grated his knife across the plate.
when two hard surfaces grate as they rub together, they make a sharp unpleasant sound; somebody can also make one thing grate against another
piercing
/ˈpɪəsɪŋ/

a piercing shriek
She has such a piercing voice.
(of sounds) very high, loud and unpleasant noise that hurts the ears (synonym shrill)
high-pitched
/ˌhaɪ ˈpɪtʃt/

a high-pitched voice/whistle
She had a high-pitched giggle which irritated me intensely.
a high-pitched noise/scream/tone
(of sounds) very high
inaudible
/ɪnˈɔːdəbl/

She spoke in an almost inaudible whisper.
The whistle was inaudible to the human ear.
His voice was almost inaudible.
The sound is inaudible to the human ear.
unable to be heard
you could have heard a pin drop

The audience was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.
Margaret's ex-husband turned up at the wedding. Honestly, you could have heard a pin drop.
something that you say in order to describe a situation where there was complete silence, especially because people were very interested or very surprised by what was happening
can't hear yourself think

There was so much noise in the classroom that I could hardly hear myself think
if you cannot hear yourself think, you cannot give your attention to anything because there is so much noise
peace and quiet
calm and quiet; freedom from worry or annoyance
(as) quiet as a mouse

She was as quiet as a mouse (= very quiet). I didn't even know she'd come in.
very quiet
Sets found in the same folder