Meanings
plural sound barriers
- uncountableSonic barrier, the sudden increase in drag (resistance) and other effects experienced by moving objects when their speed approaches that of sound or becomes supersonic (which used to be considered a barrier to higher speeds).
- countableA noise barrier, a structure beside a highway designed to reduce the noise of traffic.
St Ives: The guided busway on the old railway alignment to Cambridge has just passed its tenth anniversary. Railfuture has noted its down-at-heel physical appearance, with dirty concrete beams, damaged sound barriers, and unmanaged vegetation.
2021 October 6, Howard Johnston, “Regional News: Anglia”, in RAIL, number 941, page 29
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe increase in aerodynamic drag as an airplane approaches the speed of sound
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Danish lydmur, støjvold
- lydmurdrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- støjvoldnoise-reducing structure
- støjskærmnoise-reducing structure
- støjafskærmningnoise-reducing structure
Finnish äänivalli, meluaita
- äänivallidrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- meluaitanoise-reducing structure
- meluvallinoise-reducing structure
French mur du son, mur anti-bruit
- mur du sondrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- mur anti-bruitnoise-reducing structure
German Schallmauer, Lärmschutzwand
- Schallmauerdrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- Lärmschutzwandnoise-reducing structure
- Lärmschutzwallnoise-reducing structure
Italian barriera del suono, muro del suono
- barriera del suonodrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- muro del suonodrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- barriera antirumorenoise-reducing structure
- barriera acusticanoise-reducing structure
Norwegian Bokmål lydmur
- lydmurdrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
Polish bariera dźwięku, bariera dźwiękowa
- bariera dźwiękudrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- bariera dźwiękowadrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
Russian звуково́й барье́р
- звуково́й барье́р (zvukovój barʹjér)drag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
Swedish ljudvall, bullerplank
- ljudvalldrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- bullerplanknoise-reducing structure
Tagalog tunuging hadlang
- tunuging hadlangdrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
Thai กำแพงเสียง, กำแพงเสียง
- กำแพงเสียงdrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- กำแพงเสียงnoise-reducing structure
- กำแพงกันเสียงnoise-reducing structure
Turkish ses duvarı, ses bariyeri
- ses duvarıdrag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
- ses bariyerinoise-reducing structure
Ukrainian звукови́й бар'є́р
- звукови́й бар'є́р (zvukovýj barʺjér)drag and other effects of approaching the speed of sound
Cite this entry
sound barrier. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20barrier
“sound barrier.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20barrier. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sound barrier,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20barrier.
Source: sound barrier on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.