as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
there's always one ding-dong in the tour group who wanders off and gets lost
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Recent Examples of ding-dong
Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.
—Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
In their search for a late-night ding-dong ditcher, a California homeowner discovered a bear pulling a prank.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
In 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into their vehicle in retaliation for pulling a ding-dong-ditch prank on him.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
In California, a 45-year-old man who ran down a group of ding-dong ditch pranksters, killing three teenagers, was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2025
Three kids playing a ding-dong ditch prank in a southwest Florida neighborhood ended up getting chased down and nearly hit by one resident in a car, authorities said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Bomer is good when Jerry the ding-dong must navigate a moment of real sentiment or complication; the juxtaposition is effective.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
In North Carolina, a juvenile was shot in the leg after a homeowner fired at a vehicle during a late-night ding-dong ditch-style prank, according to police.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Legal experts note people playing ding-dong ditch can also face charges, with offenses ranging from criminal trespass to disorderly conduct.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier this year, an 11-year-old boy in Houston was shot and killed while playing the seemingly harmless prank of ding-dong-ditch.
—Stephanie Murray, USA Today, 12 Dec. 2025
In their search for a late-night ding-dong ditcher, a California homeowner discovered a bear pulling a prank.
—Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
In 2020, three 16-year-olds were killed when a man rammed his car into their vehicle in retaliation for pulling a ding-dong-ditch prank on him.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025
In California, a 45-year-old man who ran down a group of ding-dong ditch pranksters, killing three teenagers, was sentenced in 2023 to life in prison.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2025
Three kids playing a ding-dong ditch prank in a southwest Florida neighborhood ended up getting chased down and nearly hit by one resident in a car, authorities said.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Bomer is good when Jerry the ding-dong must navigate a moment of real sentiment or complication; the juxtaposition is effective.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ding-dong
Noun
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Friends with a sudden devotion to nature begin making plans to convene in parks; TurboTax becomes your closest email companion; your risk of injury at the hands of a lunatic on a City Bike, haunted by the memory of a New Year’s resolution to exercise, may increase.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2026
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t far behind, saying the war is being waged against religious lunatics.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Prices at the auction were gong up and up.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Looking for trends after 20-something games is a fool’s errand, of course.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
There was always a comedian on somebody’s album doing a skit or some funny one-liners or in the video acting a fool.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The rivalry reached new heights when the teams clashed again in the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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Fire and ice do clash beautifully, but the action here is merely serviceable and dark.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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On the other hand, she was recently seen getting dinner with Geese front man Cameron Winter, and the music video features a swan, which is basically a goose.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Search for goose attack suspect Maryland State Police responded to the call, but said when troopers arrived, the suspects were gone, and the goose appeared uninjured.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The bells that dangled off her red tunic jingled.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
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Unpredictable and complex, this film has quite a few tricks stuffed in its stockings that will leave you shocked and your bells fully jingled.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Future transshipment rules, for instance, could ding individual components that are made in one country—China, again, is a good bet—and then integrated into a product without enough of a transformation in another before winding up in the United States.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
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La Cañada resident Trent Sanders, who frequently dings California’s liberal politicos in emails to me and my colleagues, thinks Trump is generally on the right track three months into his term, but with a few caveats.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The viral dessert, which uses minimal ingredients, is typically made with fresh Medjool dates filled with natural nut butter, then covered in dark chocolate and topped with flaky salt.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
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According to Manolo, there is nowhere else in the country making gelato quite like this, completely free of lactose, eggs, nuts and gluten.—
Tristan Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ding-dong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ding-dong. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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