sonic

adjective

son·​ic ˈsä-nik 

1

: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves

sonic altimeter

broadly : of or involving sound

sonic pollution

2

: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear

—used of waves and vibrations

3

: of, relating to, or being the speed of sound in air or about 761 miles per hour (1224 kilometers per hour) at sea level at 59°F (15°C)

sonically

ˈsä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

A sonic boom is an explosive sound created by a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft. In 1947 a plane piloted by Chuck Yeager burst the "sound barrier" and created the first sonic boom. In the decades afterward sonic booms became a familiar sound to Americans. (Because of steps that were eventually taken, sonic booms are rarely heard anymore.) Today sonic is often used by ambitious rock musicians to describe their experimental sounds.

Examples of sonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The band’s sonic palette and songwriting show impressive growth here, but their lyrics have grown much darker. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026

Meanwhile, as hip-house took hold Stateside, those who had licked a new sonic language weren’t going to sit a profitable wave out. — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 2 Nov. 2026

While Wolf has been known to traverse genres on her records, often leaning into the maximalism of funk, soulful dance, R&B and bedroom-pop to indie-rock — Mud was a sonic departure for her that leaned more Americana. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2026

The $449 Ace Ultra is the company's do-over, with sonic upgrades and a new feature called Headphone Linking, which transfers audio between the headphones and compatible Sonos speakers over Wi-Fi. — Christian De Looper, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sonic

• sonic barrier
• sonic boom

Rhymes for sonic

• chronic
• clonic
• conic
• phonic
• tonic
• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic

Kids Definition

sonic

adjective

son·​ic ˈsän-ik 

: using, produced by, or relating to sound waves

Medical Definition

sonic

adjective

son·​ic ˈsän-ik 

1

: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear

—used of waves and vibrations

2

: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves

a sonic device used to rupture cell walls

sonically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb