sounding

1 of 2

adjective

sound·​ing ˈsau̇n-diŋ 

1

: resonant, sonorous

2

a

: pompous

b

: imposing

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

Examples of sounding in a Sentence

Noun

The sailors were taking soundings as the ship approached the coast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Healthcare institutions also face legitimate concerns about AI hallucinations — instances where the model generates plausible-sounding but medically inaccurate information. —Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026

But upon the death of Ian Faith, Tap’s posh-sounding, cricket-bat-wielding manager, his daughter, Hope (Kerry Godliman), inherits from him a contract for one last Spinal Tap show. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025

Noun

Bake until meringues are dry to the touch and hollow sounding when tapped, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. —Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025

Unlike the strong-willed Cohn for Trump, however, Landau serves as a pure sounding board for Springsteen. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025

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

Phrases Containing sounding

• high-sounding
• sounding board
• sounding line
• sounding rocket

Rhymes for sounding

• bounding
• founding
• grounding
• hounding
• pounding
• rounding
• abounding
• astounding
• compounding
• confounding
• expounding
• foregrounding

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