treble

1 of 3

noun

tre·​ble ˈtre-bəl 

1

a

: the highest voice part in harmonic music : soprano

b

: one that performs a treble part

also : a member of a family of instruments having the highest range

c

: a high-pitched or shrill voice, tone, or sound

d

: the upper half of the whole vocal or instrumental tonal range compare bass

e

: the higher portion of the audio frequency range in sound recording and broadcasting

2

: something treble in construction, uses, amount, number, or value

treble

2 of 3

adjective

1

a

: relating to or having the range or part of a treble

b

: high-pitched, shrill

c

: of, relating to, or having the range of treble in sound recording and broadcasting

treble frequencies

2

a

: having three parts or uses : threefold

b

: triple in number or amount

trebly

ˈtre-b(ə-)lē 

adverb

treble

3 of 3

verb

trebled; trebling ˈtre-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to increase threefold

intransitive verb

1

: to sing treble

2

: to grow to three times the size, amount, or number

Synonyms of treble

Adjective

• shrill
• whistling
• shrieking

Examples of treble in a Sentence

Noun

Turn down the treble on the radio and turn up the bass.

The part is sung by a boy treble.

Adjective

the treble shrieks of children at play

a treble painting, with each panel telling a different part of the Nativity story

Verb

She trebled her earnings in only two years.

Prices have trebled in only two years.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Each lifted the Premier League title the following May — as part of a treble of trophies in Beckham’s case. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Just a year ago, Raphinha was a key player, a Champions League top scorer and Ballon d'Or contender, helping Barca achieve a domestic treble. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Adjective

Many lures have one straight from the factory, often leaning on a pinch of white synthetic fiber or white feathers to give the rear treble hook a bit of extra pizzaz. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026

The forward had just come off a Ballon d’Or contending season as the Champions League’s joint top scorer and highest goal contributions provider, as Barça reached the semifinals of the European competition yet landed a domestic treble. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Verb

Europe is now the world’s largest arms importer, with its purchases trebling for 2021-25 compared to the five-year period prior, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 13 June 2026

At the end of May, Anthropic raised $65 billion in a Series H funding round that trebled the AI company’s valuation to $965 billion, leapfrogging rival OpenAI as the world’s most valuable AI developer. — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, the highest part in a three-part composition, from treble, adjective

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin triplus — more at triple

First Known Use

Noun

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

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing treble

• treble clef
• treble staff

Rhymes for treble

• jebel
• ndebele
• nebel
• pebble
• rebel
• jezebel

Kids Definition

treble

1 of 3 noun

tre·​ble ˈtreb-əl 

1

a

: the highest of the four voice parts in vocal music : soprano

b

: a singer or instrument having the highest range

2

: a high-pitched or shrill voice, tone, or sound

3

: the upper half of the musical pitch range compare bass entry 2

treble

2 of 3 adjective

1

a

: having three parts

b

: triple in number or amount

2

a

: relating to or having the range of a musical treble

treble voice

b

: high-pitched, shrill

trebly

ˈtreb-(ə-)lē 

adverb

treble

3 of 3 verb

trebled; trebling ˈtreb-(ə-)liŋ 

: to make or become three times the size, amount, or number