honk

1 of 2

verb

ˈhäŋk 

ˈhȯŋk

honked; honking; honks

intransitive verb

1

: to make the characteristic cry of a goose

2

: to make a sound resembling the cry of a goose

transitive verb

: to cause to honk

honk a horn

honk

2 of 2

noun

: the characteristic cry of a goose

also : a similar sound

Examples of honk in a Sentence

Verb

We could hear the geese honking overhead.

I honked at the car in front of me.

Noun

the honk of a horn

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Delhi’s chaos dances around crumbling Mughal forts, honking rickshaws, and spice-laden bazaars—brimming with turmeric and cardamom. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Bruce, in jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather jacket, shouldered his guitar and launched into a jam built around a simple twelve-bar blues, firing off some solos, making room for Clemons to honk along. —Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025

Noun

The small group of protesters spent an hour waving signs at cars traveling along U.S. Route 31 in Miami County north of Indianapolis, which spurred regular choruses of honks from semi-trucks to sedans. —Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 12 Aug. 2025

Summer went out with a low, slow honk Saturday in Franklin Park. —Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1813, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1813, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for honk

• bonk
• bronk
• cronk
• tonk

Kids Definition

honk

noun

ˈhäŋk,

ˈhȯŋk

: the cry of a goose

also : a similar sound (as of a horn)

honk verb