call

1 a natural vocal sound made by an animal a ranger who could immediately identify the call of every creature in the forest Synonyms cry, note Related Words bark, bay, bellow, blat, bleat, bray, cackle, calling, caterwaul, caw, cheep, chirp, cluck, coo, crake, croak, crow, grunt, honk, hoot, howl, low, meow (also miaow), mew, moo, neigh, oink, peep, quack, roar, screech, squall, squawk, squeak, squeal, trumpet, tu-whit tu-whoo, twitter, whinny, yap, yelp, yip, yowl

2 a coming to see another briefly for social or business reasons we paid a call on the new neighbors the day after they moved in Synonyms visit, visitation Related Words drop-in, stopover; get-together, meeting, rendezvous, tryst

3 a communication by telephone give me a call as soon as you arrive, so I'll know you got there safely Synonyms buzz, ring Related Words callback, cold call, conference call, message, toll call, voice mail

4 an act or instance of asking for information put out a call for background information about the suspect Synonyms question, inquiry, query, requestRelated Words interrogatory; poll, questionnaire, survey; inquisition, interrogating, interrogation, questioning; examination, exploration, inquest, investigation, probe, probing, research, studyNear Antonyms answer, reply, response

5 an entitlement to something you have no call to insult people Synonyms claim, dibs, pretense (or pretence), pretension, rightRelated Words birthright, prerogative, title; favor, privilege; refusalNear Antonyms disclaimer, quitclaim, release, waiver

6 a position arrived at after consideration I told you my preference for a cruise destination, but it's your call Synonyms award, decision, conclusion, deliverance, determination, diagnosis, judgment (or judgement), opinion, resolution, verdictRelated Words behest, charge, commandment, decree, dictate, directive, edict, instruction, mandate, order, word; last word, say-so; adjudication, disposition, doom, finding, ruling, sentence; choice, option, selection; consensus; belief, conviction, eye, feeling, mind, notion, persuasion, sentiment, viewNear Antonyms deadlock, draw, halt, stalemate, standoff, tie

7 the state of being sought after especially for purchase there's not much call for classical music in this neck of the woods Synonyms demand, market, requestRelated Words bear market, bull market; buyer's market, seller's market

1 to speak so as to be heard at a distance we could hear someone calling for help from the other side of the wall Synonyms bawl, bay, bellow, cry, holler, hollo (or halloo also hallo), roar, shout, sound off, thunder, vociferate, yell Related Words crow, whoop; scream, screech, shriek, shrill, squeak, squeal; caterwaul, howl, ululate, wail, yawp (or yaup), yowl; hail; speak out, speak up Near Antonyms breathe, mumble, murmur, mutter, whisper

2 to make a telephone call to use this cell phone to call me if there's an emergency Synonyms dial, phone, ring (up) [chiefly British], telephone Related Words beep, buzz; call in; cold-call

3 to make a brief visit the hospital posts the hours during which friends and relatives may call Synonyms come by, come over, drop by, drop in, pop (in), run (over), run in, step in, stop (by or in), visit Related Words barge (in); look up, see; bop (into), happen (by); frequent, hang (at), haunt, resort (to)

4 to put an end to (something planned or previously agreed to) the game was called on account of rain Synonyms abandon, abort, cancel, call off, cry off, drop, recall, repeal, rescind, revoke, scrap, scrubRelated Words abrogate, annul, invalidate, nullify, void, write off; recant, retract, take back, withdraw; countermand, reverse, roll back; break off, discontinue, end, halt, stop, terminate; hold back, interrupt, suspend; give up, relinquish, surrenderNear Antonyms engage, pledge, promise; begin, commence, initiate, start; take on, take up, undertakeAntonyms continue, keep

5 to think of in a particular way I wouldn't quite call that cheating, but it's not entirely ethical either Synonyms account, consider, count, esteem, hold, look (on or upon), rate, reckon, regard, set down, viewRelated Words believe, deem, feel, sense, think; conceive, fancy, imagine

6 to utter one's distinctive animal sound the dog called whenever it flushed a quail Synonyms cry, sing

7 to bring together in assembly by or as if by command called all the night workers in for a meeting Synonyms assemble, convoke, convene, muster, summonRelated Words rally; call in, call out, call up, knell; amass, collect, gather, group, round up; reassemble, reconveneNear Antonyms break up, dissolve

8 to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement let's call that five feet for now, and we'll measure it out later Synonyms calculate, estimate, conjecture, figure, gauge (also gage), guess, judge, make, place, put, reckon, supposeRelated Words conclude, deduce, extrapolate, gather, infer, reason, understandNear Antonyms calibrate, measure, scale; compute, work out

9 to demand or request the presence or service of rushed to call a repairman when the furnace broke Synonyms summon, hailRelated Words cite, subpoena; assemble, call out, call up, convene, convoke, muster; ask, bid, invite; command, order, request, requisition; beckon, demand, invoke; buzz, knell, page, ring, whistleNear Antonyms dismiss, send (away), turn away; banish, boot (out), cast out, drum (out), eject, expel, kick out, oust, out, rout, run off, throw out, turf (out) [chiefly British]

10 to give a name to we've decided to call the kitten “Molly” Synonyms baptize, name, christen, clepe [archaic], denominate, designate, dub, entitle, label, nominate, style, term, titleRelated Words brand, stigmatize, tag; denote, specify; miscall, misname, mistitle; code-name, nickname; rechristen, relabel, rename; surname

11 to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority the union president is refusing to call a strike Synonyms command, decree, dictate, direct, mandate, ordain, orderRelated Words ask, petition, request; demand, requireNear Antonyms cancel, countermand, rescind

12 to tell of or describe beforehand somehow the political pundit called the race results within a mere percentage point Synonyms augur, foretell, forecast, predict, presage, prognosticate, prophesy, read, vaticinateRelated Words alert, caution, forewarn, warn; bode, forebode (also forbode), portend, promise; anticipate, divine, foreknow, foresee; announce, declare, herald, proclaimNear Antonyms describe, narrate, recite, recount, relate, report, tell