onomatopoeia

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UK/ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə/New Zealand/ˌɒnəˌmɛtəˈpæɪə/US/ˌɑnəˌmætəˈpiːə/US/ˌɑnəˌmɑtəˈpiːə/

noun

The property of a word that sounds like what it represents.

Similar
onomatopephonomimeechoismimitative harmonymimesisphonomimesissound symbolism
OriginLatin onomatopoeïa ← Ancient Greek ὀνομᾰτοποιῐ́ᾱ (onomătopoiĭ́ā) ← Proto-Hellenic *kʷoiwéyō →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounonomatopoeia (countable and uncountable, plural onomatopoeias or onomatopoeiae)

plural onomatopoeias · plural onomatopoeiae · alternative archaic onomatopœia · alternative archaic onomatopy · alternative obsolete onomatopeia

  1. uncountableThe property of a word that sounds like what it represents.

    A woꝛde makinge called of the Grecians Onomatopeia is when we make woꝛdes of oure owne mynde, ſuche as be deriued from the nature of thinges.

    1553 January, Thomas Wilson, “Word Making”, in The Arte of Rhetorique, […], London: Richardus Graftonus, […], →OCLC, folio 92, verso
  2. countableA word that sounds like what it represents, such as gurgle, stutter, or hiss.
    1. countableA word that appropriates a sound for another sensation or a perceived nature, such as thud, beep, or meow; an ideophone, phenomime.
  3. rhetoricuncountableThe use of language whose sound imitates that which it names.

Synonyms & antonyms

instance

Similar
onomatopephonomime

process or state

Similar
echoismimitative harmonymimesisphonomimesissound symbolism
Also see
phonomimephonomimesis

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁nómn̥
  2. Proto-Hellenic*ónomə
  3. Ancient Greekὄνομᾰ (ónomă)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*kʷey-
  5. Proto-Hellenic*kʷoiwéyō
  6. Ancient Greekποιέω (poiéō)
  7. Ancient Greekὀνομᾰτοποιός (onomătopoiós)
  8. Ancient Greekὀνομᾰτοποιῐ́ᾱ (onomătopoiĭ́ā)
  9. Latinonomatopoeïa
  10. Englishonomatopoeia

Borrowed from Latin onomatopoeïa, from Ancient Greek ὀνοματοποιία (onomatopoiía, “the coining of a word in imitation of a sound”), from ὀνοματοποιέω (onomatopoiéō, “to coin names”), from ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”) + ποιέω (poiéō, “to make, to do, to produce”). By surface analysis, onomato- + -poeia.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مُحَاكَاة صَوْتِيَّة
  • مُحَاكَاة صَوْتِيَّةproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
Basque onomatopeia
  • onomatopeiaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
Bulgarian ономатопе́я, ономатопея
  • ономатопе́я (onomatopéja)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • ономатопея (onomatopeja)word that sounds like what it represents
Catalan onomatopeia, onomatopeia
  • onomatopeiaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeiaword that sounds like what it represents
Chinese Mandarin 象聲 /象声, 擬聲 /拟声
  • 象聲 /象声 (xiàngshēng)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬聲 /拟声 (nǐshēng)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • 狀聲 /状声 (zhuàngshēng)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • 象聲詞 /象声词 (xiàngshēngcí)word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬聲詞 /拟声词 (nǐshēngcí)word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬聲語 /拟声语 (nǐshēngyǔ)word that sounds like what it represents
  • 狀聲詞 /状声词 (zhuàngshēngcí)word that sounds like what it represents
Czech zvukomalba, onomatopoie
  • zvukomalbaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoieproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • zvukomalebné slovoword that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoionword that sounds like what it represents
Danish onomatopoietikon, lydord
  • onomatopoietikonproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • lydordword that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoietikonword that sounds like what it represents
Dutch onomatopee, onomatopee
  • onomatopeeproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeeword that sounds like what it represents
  • klanknabootsingword that sounds like what it represents
Esperanto onomatopeo, onomatopeo
  • onomatopeoproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeoword that sounds like what it represents
  • sonimitoword that sounds like what it represents
Estonian onomatopöa, helijäljendus
  • onomatopöaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • helijäljendusproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • kõlasõnaword that sounds like what it represents
Finnish onomatopoeettisuus, onomatopoesia
  • onomatopoeettisuusproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoesiaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoeettinen sanaword that sounds like what it represents
French onomatopée, onomatopée
  • onomatopéeproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopéeword that sounds like what it represents
German Lautmalerei, Klangnachahmung
  • Lautmalereiproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • Klangnachahmungproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • Lautnachahmungproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • Schallnachahmungproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • Onomatopöieproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • Onomatopoesieproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • lautmalerisches Wortword that sounds like what it represents
  • lautmalendes Wortword that sounds like what it represents
  • lautnachahmendes Wortword that sounds like what it represents
  • klangnachahmendes Wortword that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoetisches Wortword that sounds like what it represents
  • Klangwortword that sounds like what it represents
Greek ονοματοποιία, ονοματοποιία
  • ονοματοποιία (onomatopoiía)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • ονοματοποιία (onomatopoiía)word that sounds like what it represents
Hindi स्वनानुकरणात्मक, अनुकरण
  • स्वनानुकरणात्मक (svanānukarṇātmak)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • अनुकरण (anukraṇ)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • स्वनानुकरणात्मक (svanānukarṇātmak)word that sounds like what it represents
  • अनुकरण (anukraṇ)word that sounds like what it represents
Hungarian hangutánzó jelleg, hangutánzó-hangulatfestő/hangfestő szó
  • hangutánzó jellegproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • hangutánzó-hangulatfestő/hangfestő szóword that sounds like what it represents
Icelandic hljóðgerving, hljóðlíkingarorð
  • hljóðgervingproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • hljóðlíkingarorðword that sounds like what it represents
  • hljóðgervingurword that sounds like what it represents
Indonesian onomatopoeia, pembentukan kata yg meniru suara
  • onomatopoeiaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • pembentukan kata yg meniru suaraproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
Irish onamataipé, fuaimfhoclaíocht
  • onamataipéproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • fuaimfhoclaíochtproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
Italian onomatopea, onomatopea
  • onomatopeaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeaword that sounds like what it represents
Japanese 擬音, 擬声
  • 擬音 (gion)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬声 (gisei)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬音語 (giongo)word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬声語 (giseigo)word that sounds like what it represents
  • 擬態語 (gitaigo)word that sounds like what it represents
  • オノマトペ (onomatope)word that sounds like what it represents
Korean 의성어
  • 의성어 (uiseong'eo)word that sounds like what it represents
Latin onomatopoeïa, onomatopoēticum
  • onomatopoeïaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoēticumword that sounds like what it represents
  • vocābulum onomatopoēticumword that sounds like what it represents
Māori kupu ororite, kupu pakoire oro
  • kupu ororiteword that sounds like what it represents
  • kupu pakoire oroword that sounds like what it represents
Norwegian onomatopoetikon, lydord
  • onomatopoetikonproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • lydordword that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopoetikonword that sounds like what it represents
Persian نامآوا
  • نامآوا (namava)word that sounds like what it represents
Polish onomatopeja, onomatopeja
  • onomatopejaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopejaword that sounds like what it represents
  • wyraz dźwiękonaśladowczyword that sounds like what it represents
Portuguese onomatopeia, onomatopeia
  • onomatopeiaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeiaword that sounds like what it represents
Punjabi صوت, ਸੌਤ
  • صوت (ṣot)word that sounds like what it represents
  • ਸੌਤ (saut)word that sounds like what it represents
Romanian onomatopee, onomatopee
  • onomatopeeproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeeword that sounds like what it represents
Russian звукоподража́ние, ономатопе́я
  • звукоподража́ние (zvukopodražánije)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • ономатопе́я (onomatopéja)property of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • звукоподража́ние (zvukopodražánije)word that sounds like what it represents
  • ономатопе́я (onomatopéja)word that sounds like what it represents
Spanish onomatopeya, onomatopeya
  • onomatopeyaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeyaword that sounds like what it represents
Swedish onomatopoetikon
  • onomatopoetikonproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
Tagalog sintunog, onomatopeya
  • sintunogproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeyaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • sintunogword that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeyaword that sounds like what it represents
Turkish yansıma, yansımalı sözcük
  • yansımaproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • yansımalı sözcükproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • onomatopeword that sounds like what it represents
  • yansıma sözcükword that sounds like what it represents
Ukrainian звуконаслі́дування, ономатопе́я
  • звуконаслі́дування (zvukonaslíduvannja)word that sounds like what it represents
  • ономатопе́я (onomatopéja)word that sounds like what it represents
Vietnamese tượng thanh, từ tượng thanh
  • tượng thanhproperty of a word that sounds like what it represents
  • từ tượng thanhword that sounds like what it represents
Welsh onomatopeia
  • onomatopeiaword that sounds like what it represents

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with onomatopoeia

viaideaKoreaeamariaTanzaniaLuciaGarciamiaEritrealeaBeadiarrheaLeahsheariaureaHoseapizzeriaSandiatortillaPadillaTheachia
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

onomatopoeia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onomatopoeia

MLA

“onomatopoeia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onomatopoeia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onomatopoeia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onomatopoeia.

Source: onomatopoeia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.