sound

1 of 7

noun (1)

1
a
: a particular auditory impression : tone
b
: the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing
c
: mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (such as air) and is the objective cause of hearing
2
a
: a speech sound
a peculiar r-sound
b
: value in terms of speech sounds
-cher of teacher and -ture of creature have the same sound
3
a
: meaningless noise
b
: the impression conveyed : import
c
obsolete : meaning
4
: hearing distance : earshot
within sound of your voice
5
: recorded auditory material
6
: a particular musical style characteristic of an individual, a group, or an area
the Nashville sound
7
archaic : rumor, fame

sound

2 of 7

verb (1)

sounded; sounding; sounds

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to sound
sound a trumpet
2
: to put into words : voice
3
a
: to make known : proclaim
b
: to order, signal, or indicate by a sound
sound the alarm
4
: to examine by causing to emit sounds
sound the lungs
5
chiefly British : to convey the impression of : sound like
that sounds a logical use of resourcesEconomist

intransitive verb

1
a
: to make a sound
b
c
: to give a summons by sound
the bugle sounds to battle
2
: to make or convey an impression especially when heard
it sounds good to me
you sound just like your mother
soundable adjective

sound

3 of 7

adjective

1
a
: free from injury or disease
of sound mind
b
: free from flaw, defect, or decay
sound timber
2
a
: solid, firm
sound construction
b
: stable
a sound economy
also : secure, reliable
sound investments
3
a
: free from error, fallacy, or misapprehension
sound advice
sound reasoning
b
: exhibiting or based on thorough knowledge and experience
sound scholarship
c
: legally valid
a sound title
d
: logically valid and having true premises
a sound estimate
e
: agreeing with accepted views : orthodox
sound doctrine
4
a
: thorough
a sound recovery
b
: deep and undisturbed
a sound sleep
c
: hard, severe
a sound whipping
5
: showing good judgment or sense
a sound advisor
soundly adverb
soundness noun

sound

4 of 7

adverb

: to the full extent : thoroughly
sound asleep

sound

5 of 7

noun (2)

1
a
: a long broad inlet of the ocean generally parallel to the coast
b
: a long passage of water connecting two larger bodies (such as a sea with the ocean) or separating a mainland and an island
2
: the air bladder of a fish

sound

6 of 7

verb (2)

sounded; sounding; sounds

transitive verb

1
: to measure the depth of : fathom
2
: to try to find out the views or intentions of : probe
often used with out
3
: to explore or examine (a body cavity) with a sound

intransitive verb

1
a
: to ascertain the depth of water especially with a sounding line
b
: to look into or investigate the possibility
sent commissioners … to sound for peaceThomas Jefferson
2
: to dive down suddenly
used of a fish or whale

sound

7 of 7

noun (3)

: an elongated instrument for exploring or sounding body cavities

Did you know?

English contains several sound homographs, all with distinct histories. For example, the sound that means "something heard" descends from Latin sonus ("sound"), whereas the sound that means "to measure the depth of water" traces to Middle French sonde ("sounding line"). Another sound, as in "of sound mind and body," is the contemporary form of Old English's gesund. Gesund is related to several words in other languages, such as Old Saxon gisund ("sound"), Old Frisian sund ("fresh, unharmed, healthy"), and Gothic swinths ("sound" or "healthy"). Another relative is Old High German's gisunt ("healthy"), which led to modern German's gesund, the root of gesundheit.

Choose the Right Synonym for sound

healthy, sound, wholesome, robust, hale, well mean enjoying or indicative of good health.

healthy implies full strength and vigor as well as freedom from signs of disease.

a healthy family

sound emphasizes the absence of disease, weakness, or malfunction.

a sound heart

wholesome implies appearance and behavior indicating soundness and balance.

a face with a wholesome glow

robust implies the opposite of all that is delicate or sickly.

a lively, robust little boy

hale applies particularly to robustness in old age.

still hale at the age of eighty

well implies merely freedom from disease or illness.

she has never been a well person

valid, sound, cogent, convincing, telling mean having such force as to compel serious attention and usually acceptance.

valid implies being supported by objective truth or generally accepted authority.

a valid reason for being absent
a valid marriage

sound implies a basis of flawless reasoning or of solid grounds.

a sound proposal for reviving the economy

cogent may stress either weight of sound argument and evidence or lucidity of presentation.

the prosecutor's cogent summation won over the jury

convincing suggests a power to overcome doubt, opposition, or reluctance to accept.

a convincing argument for welfare reform

telling stresses an immediate and crucial effect striking at the heart of a matter.

a telling example of bureaucratic waste

Examples of sound in a Sentence

Adjective a building of sound construction The bridge is structurally sound. a sound mind in a sound body The tests show that his heart is sound. She used sound reasoning in making the decision. She gave us some sound advice. She has a sound understanding of the system's structure. The stock market has made a sound recovery.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Soundgarden’s major label debut for A&M Records came at an awkward time when their sound was a little too dark for mainstream hard rock, but future Seattle compatriots Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice in Chains hadn’t yet primed alternative radio for something heavier. Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2024 The sound of club striking ball from between the barracks may as well have been a dinner bell for avid golfer Ward-Thomas, who — soon followed by other prisoners — approached Smith for a piece of the action. Jack Bantock, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Staff spoke softly to keep the animals calm, so the only sounds were the squawks, chirps and warbles of the birds, and the crunching and rustling of animals eating breakfast. Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Some exhibits feature Braille, tactile displays and immersive sounds intended for blind and low-vision visitors as well as sighted ones. Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The study noted that part of the problem isn’t just the sound of the alarms, but the fact that there are simply too many alarms. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 But even then the sound of audience laughter had a big appeal for me. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 Mar. 2024 Developed to absorb and block sound, the MITTZON acoustic screens, filled with 90% wood fibers, also allow for privacy by limiting distractions. Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2024 Event organizers moved a shuttle bus backward and forward in front of the protesters to attempt to block the sound of their loudspeaker. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
This is classic early ’80s dance pop with Madonna heavy-breathing her way through an opening monologue that doesn’t sound at all like an invitation to dance and sing. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 10 Mar. 2024 At its 1928 Carnegie Hall premiere, Gershwin’s iconic masterpiece was a spirited composition, meant to reflect the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds on the streets of Paris with instruments that include real Parisian taxi horns, a trumpet, saxophone and snare drum. Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2024 Devastating financial fallout Health care executives have been sounding the alarm for several days that the cyberattack is causing severe financial strain on the sector. Sean Lyngaas, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024 Turns out the members of Soundgarden simply sound better with each other than with anybody else, and King Animal rekindles that old chemistry with ease. Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Mar. 2024 Herbert’s 60-year-old warning doesn’t sound too far off from the concerns raised about AI today. Rachyl Jones, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Again, this can sound discouraging, given the effort put into changing these norms. Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 8 Mar. 2024 The concept sounded intriguing to me, but also nerve-wracking. Christine Kilpatrick, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Talking yourself up too much may sound arrogant when Mars aggravates Jupiter. USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Sign up for her newsletter to start your mornings off with some sound advice. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 Costume designers, camera operators, sound engineers, and lightning technicians, who are among the 170,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), are looking to do the same. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Kathryn’s deep blue boudoir — created on a sound stage in LA — was a deliberate contrast to Sebastian’s autumnally toned bedroom, in which his desk was also a subtle nod to the 1988 adaptation. Jemal Polson, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 The three that feature the fewest women are sound (15 percent), visual effects (12 percent) and cinematographers (11 percent). Nicole Sperling Ella Koeze, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 That might not be the most sound solution for a team facing a rebuild of sorts. Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2024 The sound approach is naturalistic and stays true to the source they were recorded from. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Logical fallacies compromise our ability to think critically and have sound logic to back up our position. Christine Comaford, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 With that, a sound piece of advice is to moderate your reactions and comments online, making an effort to come across as a more boring and dry version of yourself. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Adverb
The garbage disposal features a generous 0.75 horsepower motor that is sound-insulated. Kaitlyn McInnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Mar. 2023 Some examples include watches with alarms, visual timers, sound-blocking headphones, and calculators. Lisa Jo Rudy, Verywell Health, 7 Mar. 2023 There could be sound-absorbing qualities, too, which gave the ceilings their other name: acoustical ceilings. John Kelly, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2023 Porsche also outfitted lightweight glass and a slinkier battery, whittled out some of the sound-deadening material, and even deleted the rear seat. Tim Stevens, Ars Technica, 23 Nov. 2022 Every practice and bus ride are sound-tracked by a JBL Bluetooth speaker and a steady stream of hits from Adele and Pitbull. BostonGlobe.com, 6 Nov. 2021 Qualifying property owners, who must have their buildings sound-tested, will each receive about $40,000 in upgrades. Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2021 Even more sound-deadening materials arrived for 2004, as did new stereo speakers to take advantage of the ostensibly quieter cabin. Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, 29 Apr. 2021 The local fire department said earlier that the main material burning was sound-absorbing cotton. Bloomberg.com, 25 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sound.' 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

Noun (1)

Middle English soun, from Anglo-French son, sun, from Latin sonus, from sonare to sound; akin to Old English swinn melody, Sanskrit svanati it sounds

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English gesund; akin to Old High German gisunt healthy

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English sund swimming, sea & Old Norse sund swimming, strait; akin to Old English swimman to swim

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Middle French sonder, from Old French *sonde sounding line, probably from Old English or Middle English sund- (as in Old English sundlīne sounding line) from sund sea

Noun (3)

French sonde, from Middle French, literally, sounding line

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

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

Noun (3)

1739, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sound was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near sound

Cite this Entry

“Sound.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sound. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sound

1 of 6 adjective
1
a
: not diseased or weak : healthy
a sound mind in a sound body
b
: free from imperfection or rot
2
: solid entry 1 sense 4, firm
a building of sound construction
3
: not faulty : valid, right
a sound argument
4
a
: thorough sense 1
a sound revenge
b
: not disturbed
a sound sleep
c
: severe sense 3
a sound beating
5
: showing good judgment or sense
sound advice
soundly adverb
soundness noun

sound

2 of 6 adverb
: to the full extent : thoroughly
sound asleep

sound

3 of 6 noun
1
a
: the sensation of hearing
b
: a particular impression obtained by hearing : noise, tone
c
: the energy of vibration that causes the sensation of hearing
2
a
: one of the noises that together make up human speech
the sound of "th" in "this"
b
: a series of spoken noises
3
a
: meaningless noise
b
: the suggestion carried or given by something heard or said
the excuse has a suspicious sound
4
: hearing distance : earshot
within sound of my voice

sound

4 of 6 verb
1
a
: to make or cause to make a sound
b
: resound
the auditorium sounded with applause
c
: resound sense 2
cheers are sounding throughout the gymnasium
d
: to give a signal by sound
the bugle sounds to battle
2
: pronounce sense 3a
sound each word clearly
3
: to put into words : voice
4
a
: to make known : proclaim
b
: to order, signal, or indicate by a sound
sound the alarm
5
: to make or give an impression especially when heard
sounds incredible

sound

5 of 6 noun
: a long passage of water that is wider than a strait and often connects two larger bodies of water or forms a channel between the mainland and an island

sound

6 of 6 verb
1
a
: to measure the depth of (as with a sounding line) : fathom
b
: to look into or investigate the possibility
2
: to try to find out the views or intentions of : probe
sounded me out on the idea
3
: to dive down suddenly
a sounding whale
Etymology

Adjective

Old English gesund "free from injury or disease"

Noun

Middle English soun "a sound, something that can be heard," from early French son (same meaning), from Latin sonus "a sound" — related to unison

Noun

Old English sund "a sea, swimming"

Verb

Middle English sounden "to measure the depth of," from early French sonder (same meaning), from sonde "a line used for measuring depths"; probably of Germanic origin

Medical Definition

sound

1 of 4 adjective
1
: free from injury or disease : exhibiting normal health
2
: deep and undisturbed
a sound sleep
soundness noun

sound

2 of 4 noun
1
: a particular auditory impression
heart sounds heard by auscultation
2
: the sensation perceived by the sense of hearing
3
: mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (as air) and is the objective cause of hearing

sound

3 of 4 transitive verb
: to explore or examine (a body cavity) with a sound

sound

4 of 4 noun
: an elongated instrument for exploring or examining body cavities
a uterine sound

Legal Definition

sound

1 of 2 adjective
1
a
: free from injury or disease : exhibiting normal health
b
: free from flaw, defect, or decay
a sound design
2
a
: free from error, fallacy, or misapprehension
based on sound judicial reasoning
b
: legally valid
a sound title
3
: showing good judgment or sense
soundly adverb
soundness noun

sound

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to be based or founded : have a specified basis for an action
used with in
those remedies for rent which sounded in contractO. W. Holmes, Jr.

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