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
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 May 2026
While moist’s related meanings certainly might drive our dislike, Max Müller’s ding-dong theory, known now as sound symbolism, provides an alternative, suggesting it instead (or also) might have something to do with the specific sounds that are in the word.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
Hopefully, now this kid can stop being a moody ass little ding-dong about it.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 May 2026
While moist’s related meanings certainly might drive our dislike, Max Müller’s ding-dong theory, known now as sound symbolism, provides an alternative, suggesting it instead (or also) might have something to do with the specific sounds that are in the word.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ding-dong
Noun
-
Mark Hamill has been a lunatic for years now.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
To get a sentence like that in a communist, radically left-wing city of liberal lunatics is truly amazing.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Prices at the auction were gong up and up.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Here are three fool-proof tips to stay ahead of the curve during the volatility to come.—
Solo Ceesay,
Rolling Stone,
7 May 2026
-
The Quince Revive Nylon Crescent Shoulder Bag is just $32, but don’t let its affordable price fool you.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Andrade is used to clashing with the DeSantis administration.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Strict city regulations wouldn’t allow for yellow to clash with the natural scenery, so the shade was chosen to better fit in with the local aesthetics.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Atvara, who spent years working in teaching, journalism, and marketing before returning to her first love, puts her classical training to good use, particularly during a goose-bump-inducing climax in which her voice swoops and soars like a haunted songbird.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
-
Their first album in four years, Dancing on the Wall, reflects a group that's been famous long enough to know what a golden goose’s underbelly looks like.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The Household Cavalry, on dark horses and with brightly shining breastplates, trotted past, jingling like a cutlery drawer.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The hiker then begins jingling bells in the bear's face in an attempt to scare it off, but the bear charges forward.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 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
-
Refreshments like chlorophyll water, fruit, and nuts are readily available, while a nourishing lunch can be ordered at any time.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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And given that cement is one of the tougher nuts to crack in the struggle to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, concrete solutions are welcome.—
Scott K. Johnson,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ding-dong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ding-dong. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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