Meanings
nounsound effect (plural sound effects)
plural sound effects
- An artificially created or enhanced sound, used to accompany the action of a dramatic production, such as a film, play or video game.
- A caption in a comic strip representing a sound.
It's also becoming more commonplace for artists to add some of their own sound effects while they're drawing the art. If they haven't drawn all of the sound effects, you may decide to mimic the style of their existing sound effects with digital brushes for a more homogenous look.
2021, Nate Piekos, The Essential Guide to Comic Book Lettering, page 184
Translations
Arabic مُؤَثِّر صَوْتِيّ
- مُؤَثِّر صَوْتِيّ (muʔaṯṯir ṣawtiyy)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Chinese Mandarin 音效
- 音效 (yīnxiào)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Czech zvukový efekt
- zvukový efektartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Danish lydeffekt
- lydeffektartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Dutch geluidseffect
- geluidseffectartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Esperanto sonefekto
- sonefektoartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Finnish ääniefekti, äänitehoste
- ääniefektiartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- äänitehosteartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
French bruitage, effet sonore
- bruitageartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- effet sonoreartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
German Soundeffekt
- Soundeffektartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Hungarian hangeffektus, hanghatás
- hangeffektusartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- hanghatásartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Japanese 効果音, 音響効果
- 効果音 (kōkaon)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- 音響効果 (onkyō kōka)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- サウンドエフェクト (saundo efekuto)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Korean 효과음, 음향효과
- 효과음 (hyogwa'eum)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- 음향효과 (eumhyanghyogwa)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- 사운드 이펙트 (saundeu ipekteu)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Māori orotaunaki
- orotaunakiartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Norwegian lydeffekt
- lydeffektartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Polish efekt dźwiękowy
- efekt dźwiękowyartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Portuguese efeito sonoro
- efeito sonoroartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Romanian efect sonor
- efect sonorartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Russian звуково́й эффе́кт
- звуково́й эффе́кт (zvukovój effékt)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Spanish efecto sonoro, efecto de sonido
- efecto sonoroartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
- efecto de sonidoartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Swahili athari ya sauti
- athari ya sautiartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Swedish ljudeffekt
- ljudeffektartificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Ukrainian звукови́й ефе́кт
- звукови́й ефе́кт (zvukovýj efékt)artificially created or enhanced sound in films, plays or video games
Cite this entry
APA
sound effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20effect
MLA
“sound effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20effect. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sound effect,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sound%20effect.
Source: sound effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.