neigh 1 of 2

Definition of neighnext
as in to whinny
to make the cry typical of a horse the horses neighed when the rider came into the barn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

neigh

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of neigh
Verb
The series’ earnestly naïve sound design (horses neighing, cars revving) only enhanced my appreciation of Joudrey’s sophisticated storytelling. Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026 As such, the distinct sound that people hear when a horse neighs or whinnies is likely the animal relaying various independent messages or emotions at once, the study says. Kate Perez, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026 Across from them in their usual stalls stood the eight neighing horses. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025 The band joked about adding a neighing horse to the intro, and Rimes quickly inserted that sound from his plug-in collection. Tom Roland, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2024 Laughing, always laughing—at the dickey birds hopping in the tree branches, at the urchin who was burned to a crisp by an angry mob, at the slandering neighbor woman who got turned into a neighing donkey. Okwiri Oduor, Harper's Magazine, 15 June 2022 No such juvenilia intrudes upon the rather more adult-ish proceedings of the new film The Wanting Mare, in which horses neigh and stamp at the margins of a bleak, majestic world. Jason Kehe, Wired, 12 Feb. 2021 Horse trailers lined up in rows in Island Grove Regional Park, their passengers neighing indiscriminately. John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 28 July 2019 Goats and sheep staying in the barn bleated, and horses neighed as the crowd of people grew. David Anderson, baltimoresun.com, 23 July 2019
Noun
From the stables, the neigh of a horse, and then, a scratching sound followed by a spark that illuminated the silhouette of a figure quickly stepping away. Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neigh
Verb
  • In the field, Harry Truman’s Approval Rating whinnied and tossed its head, and Richard Nixon’s Approval Rating flopped on one side and emitted a horrible gurgle.
    Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
    Chris Torres, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • My personal highlights were the tender, lightly caramelized moo ping pork skewers with sticky rice, succulent tomato stracciatella sourdough toast, and copious flawless mango, which melted in my mouth like butter.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Junior Heifers One building was filled with the almost deafening hum of high-power hair dryers and the occasional moo.
    Chris Torres, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied.
    Chris Torres, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2026
  • The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered.
    Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • My father mistakes it for the verb to bray, like a donkey.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Staff remembered him for his calm temperament, distinctive mane and loud roar — as well as a goofy streak, the zoo said.
    Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Shadows and strange sounds can set imaginations whirring—from the guttural roar of a hunting lion to the giggling calls of a feasting hyena pack.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Following these findings, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras oil and safrole as food additives in 1960 and later prohibited the interstate shipment of sassafras bark for tea, effectively removing the plant from commercial products.
    Kari Traylor, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Its bark is red, and its foliage is pale green with pink margins.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Native to North America, eastern screech-owls are mostly gray, reddish-brown or brown with yellow eyes, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
  • This causes a blast of high-energy radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), a final screech of gravitational waves, and sends out a spray of neutron-rich matter, which allows a process to occur that generates very heavy but unstable elements.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Once inside, however, the miscreant sister communicates (via walkie-talkie) in a squeal of wordless agony.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Mary Lattimore’s harp spangles the background, while Camille Getz drags her violin across the track, a clever acoustic rendering of a classic shoegaze guitar squeal.
    Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Neigh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neigh. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on neigh

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster