sing

1 of 2

verb

sang ˈsaŋ How to pronounce sing (audio) or sung ˈsəŋ How to pronounce sing (audio) ; sung; singing ˈsiŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sing (audio)

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
4
: to bring or accompany to a place or state by singing
sings the child to sleep
singable adjective

sing

2 of 2

noun

: a session of group singing

Example Sentences

Verb 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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
There’s a wonderful mariachi tune sung by Jame Olivas, who plays the telenovela’s resident hunk, Sebástian, Fabiola’s stepson and former lover. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2023 The only thing that calms baby girl down is hearing her father sing Smiley Faces by Gnarls Barkley to her lol 😍😍😍. Taiwo Balogun, Peoplemag, 26 May 2023 Starting out as part of an R&B act, dancing away her pain alongside her husband Ike Turner, the Tennessee native sang as if every performance would be her last. Jonathan P. Higgins, EW.com, 26 May 2023 Everyone in the know knows that Dolly Levi and Effie White and Mark Cohen and Evita Perón and Jean Valjean and Evan Hansen simply gotta sing. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 26 May 2023 If there was any way to blink it away, to sing it away, to make this horror go away, that’s what was going to happen. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 May 2023 In a video message posted on Instagram, Dion said the disorder was causing spasms that affect her ability to walk and sing. Jem Aswad, Variety, 26 May 2023 Although Bailey is a lovely presence and possesses a superb voice, this remake doesn’t really sing. Dallasnews.com Staff, Dallas News, 25 May 2023 Swift’s pal Lana Del Rey sings on the original version, but her ethereal vocals aren’t prominent. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 24 May 2023
Noun
It’s been an exciting year for Jung Kook, particularly in music, with a string of solo sings. Billboard Staff, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2023 Leading with vulnerability, the 24-year-old sings with pure emotion over a guitar-laden instrumental laced with fluttering synths. Cydney Lee, Billboard, 1 May 2023 Something like: [sings] three, one four, one five. Jeffery Delviscio, Scientific American, 14 Mar. 2023 Lively bars and restaurants are a key part of the brand; there are even fun Karaoke Rooms for a sing-song with friends. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022 Smith can't resist throwing up the peace sing. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 28 July 2022 But in the end, Clarkson still convinced Christine to join her team, offering praise for a difficult-to-sing song and some constructive criticism, encouraging her to make her vocals wilder. Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2023 It’s all performed in a childlike sing-songy yet occasional atonal operatic recitative. Matthew J. Palm, orlandosentinel.com, 18 May 2021 Apple Music Sing, available later this month, will give subscribers the ability to transform millions of the platform's most popular songs into lyric-free sing-alongs, all powered by machine intelligence and proprietary processing technology. Parker Hall, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sing was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near sing

Cite this Entry

“Sing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sing. Accessed 2 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

sing

1 of 2 verb
sang ˈsaŋ How to pronounce sing (audio) or sung ˈsəŋ How to pronounce sing (audio) ; sung; singing ˈsiŋ-iŋ How to pronounce sing (audio)
1
a
: to produce musical sounds by means of the voice
b
: to utter with musical sounds
sing a song
c
: chant entry 1 sense 2, intone
parts of the mass were sung
2
: to make pleasing musical sounds
birds singing at dawn
3
: to make a slight shrill sound
a kettle singing on the stove
4
: to express enthusiastically
sing the praises of life in the city
5
: buzz entry 1 sense 1, ring
ears singing from the sudden descent
6
: to affect or bring to a place or state by singing
sing a baby to sleep
sing the blues away
7
: to call aloud : cry out
sing out when you find them
singable adjective

sing

2 of 2 noun
: a session of group singing

More from Merriam-Webster on sing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!