sounding

1 of 2

adjective

sound·​ing ˈsau̇n-diŋ How to pronounce sounding (audio)
soundingly adverb

sounding

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: measurement of depth especially with a sounding line
b
: the depth so ascertained
c
soundings plural : a place or part of a body of water where a hand sounding line will reach bottom
2
: measurement of atmospheric conditions at various heights
3
: a probe, test, or sampling of opinion or intention

Example Sentences

Noun The sailors were taking soundings as the ship approached the coast.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Her attempt to package her experience as an advice book has the feel of what Freud called secondary revision, the effort to master chaotic psychic material by shoehorning it into a reasonable-sounding narrative. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2022 In early 2013, Mikaela Sanford responded to a Craigslist job posting for a small Sacramento company with mundane-sounding responsibilities: communicating with contractors, overseeing data entry and handling client correspondence. Melissa Korn, WSJ, 20 Aug. 2022 The Sonos Move is a full-sounding wireless speaker that works over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 8 June 2022 The European Commission also defended the application saying that similar-sounding or homonymous names were not an adequate reason for rejecting a request. Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2021 The group’s simple-sounding but highly sophisticated songs have endured since the group, consisting of two married couples, split amid the breakup of the two couples in 1982. Jem Aswad, Variety, 2 Sep. 2021 The group’s simple-sounding but highly sophisticated songs have endured since the group, consisting of two married couples, split amid the breakup of the two couples in 1982. Jem Aswad, Variety, 2 Sep. 2021 The group’s simple-sounding but highly sophisticated songs have endured since the group, consisting of two married couples, split amid the breakup of the two couples in 1982. Jem Aswad, Variety, 2 Sep. 2021 The group’s simple-sounding but highly sophisticated songs have endured since the group, consisting of two married couples, split amid the breakup of the two couples in 1982. Jem Aswad, Variety, 2 Sep. 2021
Noun
Speaking of infernal-sounding, pay close attention around the 4:30 mark here, and witness the occult-metal mastery of Mercyful Fate riffsmith Hank Shermann, abetted by his trusty partner Michael Denner. Hank Shteamer, SPIN, 24 Jan. 2023 Today, McIntosh offers many dozens of solid-state components, but its MC275, designed in 1961 and now in its sixth generation, is regarded as one of the most iconic—and sweet sounding—ever made. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2023 Bharucha followed the clip with a similar sounding song, and then another. Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2010 Stations were set along the route where the procession stopped to hear the sounding of the shofar. Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2022 That critical gap between the sign of smoke and the sounding of the alarm, investigators found, was the first in a cascading set of failures, by both the crew and leadership on the pier. Megan Rose, ProPublica, 23 Sep. 2022 Investing in a good microphone with a pop filter can help take your podcast sound from amateur to professional sounding in a matter of minutes. Ginni Saraswati, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2022 Allies within the organization can provide advice and act as valuable sounding boards. Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 22 May 2022 As Tommy’s experiences in the tunnels of France mark a continued incubus for his character, with visions of being pulled into the mud, the sounding of the bell coincides with his own inner peace. Josh St. Clair, Men's Health, 13 June 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sounding was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sounding

Cite this Entry

“Sounding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sounding. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

sounding

noun
sound·​ing
ˈsau̇n-diŋ
1
a
: measurement of depth especially with a sounding line
b
: the depth found by sounding
2
: an investigation, test, or sampling of opinion or intention
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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


Challenging Standardized Test Words, Vol. 2

  • a pencil broken in half on top of a test answer sheet
  • The business’s new computer system proved not to be a panacea.
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY