sing

play

verb \ ˈsiŋ \

Definition of sing

sang play \ˈsaŋ\ or sung play \ˈsəŋ\; sung; singing play \ˈsiŋ-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 a :to produce musical tones by means of the voice

b :to utter words in musical tones and with musical inflections and modulations

c :to deliver songs as a trained or professional singer

2 :to make a shrill whining or whistling sound

3 a :to relate or celebrate something in verse

b :to compose poetry

c :to create in or through words a feeling or sense of song

prose that sings

4 :to produce musical or harmonious sounds

birds singing

5 :buzz, ring

6 :to make a cry :call

7 :to give information or evidence

transitive verb

1 :to utter with musical inflections; especially :to interpret in musical tones produced by the voice

2 :to relate or celebrate in verse

3 :chant, intone

4 :to bring or accompany to a place or state by singing

sings the child to sleep

—

singable

play \ˈsiŋ-ə-bəl\ adjective

See sing defined for English-language learners

See sing defined for kids

Examples of sing in a Sentence

She sings in the choir.
The children danced and sang.
He sang softly to the baby.
She's a great actress, and she can dance and sing, too.
We all stood and sang the national anthem.
I can't sing the high notes.
Do you hear the birds singing?
The kettle sang on the stove.
The bullet sang past his helmet.

Recent Examples of sing from the Web

This will have no problem singing with the guacamole and salsa on fish tacos.

— mike dunne, sacbee, "Dunne on Wine: There’s still time for white wine," 30 Aug. 2017
Chorus of the Old Dominion For men of any age or skill level who are interested in singing four-part harmony.

— Washington Post, "Community events in Loudoun County, Aug. 31-Sept. 7, 2017," 30 Aug. 2017
Her silence grew louder and louder as her peers tweeted and Rocked the Vote and and sang their hearts out for Hillary Clinton.

— kenzie bryant, Vanities, "Taylor Swift Is Ready to Come Out of Hiding, But Are We Ready for Her?," 28 Aug. 2017
In the video, which premiered during the VMAs first hour, the pop star emerged from the grave as a zombie and sang her accusations in a dark world where previous versions of herself come back to haunt her.

— kristin m. hall, The Seattle Times, "VMA artists, speakers call for equality, suicide prevention," 28 Aug. 2017
Following a moving speech from Kesha, Logic, Khalid, and Alessia Cara sang with suicide attempt survivors to send a powerful message about reaching out for help.

— elizabeth logan, Glamour, "The 10 Most Politically-Charged Moments of the 2017 VMAs," 27 Aug. 2017
Joyner switches between metal-like vocals and rap behind the kit flawlessly, and Ferry sings the more sedate stuff.

— steve watkins, star-telegram, "Neptune Locals show at the Grotto brings a wave of emotions," 24 Aug. 2017
With any luck, the ocean will be a little quieter in a few years and whales can go back to singing their normal tunes.

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "The Ocean Is So Noisy, Whales Are Starting to Talk on a New Frequency," 24 Aug. 2017
Learn about the offerings of Rose Miniaci Arts Education with an open house for singing, dancing and acting classes for all ages.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "What to do with the kids this weekend: World fest, free parks, open houses," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sing

Middle English, from Old English singan; akin to Old High German singan to sing, Greek omphē voice

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

sing Synonyms

Synonyms

carol, chant, descant, vocalize

Related Words

belt, croon, harmonize, hum, lilt, quaver, scat, sharp, slur, trill, troll, warble, yodel; serenade

sing

noun

Definition of sing

:a session of group singing

Recent Examples of sing from the Web

Nakamura’s entrance with live musical accompaniment and fan sing-along.

— jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Fans, media react to SummerSlam, Snakemaster gives snake rankings," 21 Aug. 2017
During a break in her Singapore concert in June, the Grammy winner stopped the show to wish her bodyguard Jacob a happy birthday with a live sing-along — as a dancer stood by with a birthday cake and sparkling candle.

— stephanie petit, PEOPLE.com, "Britney Spears Sings ‘Something To Talk About’ Live in Response to Critics Slamming Her for Lip-Syncing," 20 Aug. 2017
The episodes go beyond watching sing-alongs from the dashboard—

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Game of Thrones Stark Reunion Is Coming to Carpool Karaoke," 1 Aug. 2017
Live streamers answer questions, offer advice, sing, dance, even eat meals on camera.

— jonathan kaiman, latimes.com, "Chinese authorities put the brakes on a surge in live streaming," 24 June 2017
July 3 will feature a patriotic sing-a-long, July 10 will feature Reptile World, July 17 entertainment is still to be announced, July 24 will feature a magic show and July 31 will feature Touch-a-Truck.

— mary schneidau sullivan, Laurel Leader, "Public Works recycling competition rewards with $10 discount [Old Town Laurel]," 21 June 2017
The celebration continues throughout the weekend with diverse music and dance performances, a Saturday night fireworks show, a Sunday evening community sing-along on the lawn and nightly raisings of the Rotunda chandelier.

— bill salisbury, Twin Cities, "Three-day Minnesota Capitol reopening celebration set for Aug. 11-13," 13 June 2017
The entertainment included an aerial performance by a Supermarine Spitfire plane, a Beatles sing-a-long, dancing, and speeches.

— jenni miller, The Cut, "Pippa Middleton’s Wedding Reception Guests Had Their Own Passwords, and Other Details," 21 May 2017
For his first weekly show, a club owner suggested the name Worship due to Chris's involvement with his church and his tendency to lip sync, and live sing, to gospel music.

— eliel cruz, NBC News, "Christian Drag Queen Nedra Belle Finds Acceptance in Church," 18 May 2017

First Known Use of sing

1850

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

SING Defined for English Language Learners

sing

play

verb

Definition of sing for English Language Learners

: to use your voice to make musical sounds in the form of a song or tune
: to make pleasant sounds that sound like music
: to make a high-pitched whistling sound

SING Defined for Kids

sing

play

verb \ ˈsiŋ \

Definition of sing for Students

sang \ˈsaŋ\ or sung \ˈsəŋ\; sung; singing

1 :to produce musical sounds with the voice

He sings in the choir.

2 :to express in musical tones

Will you sing a song?

3 :to make musical sounds

The birds were singing at dawn.

4 :¹chant 2

sing mass

5 :to make a small high-pitched sound

Arrows went singing through the air.

6 :to speak with enthusiasm

Their teacher is happy to sing their praises.

7 :to do something with song

He sang the baby to sleep.

—

singer

noun

sing.

abbreviation

Definition of sing. for Students

singular

Learn More about sing

See words that rhyme with sing Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sing Spanish Central: Translation of sing Nglish: Translation of sing for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sing for Arabic speakers

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sing

Definition of sing

singable

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Examples of sing in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sing from the Web

Origin and Etymology of sing

sing Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

sing

Definition of sing

Recent Examples of sing from the Web

First Known Use of sing

Other Music Terms

Phrases Related to SING

Related Phrases

SING Defined for English Language Learners

sing

Definition of sing for English Language Learners

SING Defined for Kids

sing

Definition of sing for Students

singer

sing.

Definition of sing. for Students

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