onomatopoeia

[on-uh-mat-uh-pee-uh, ‑-mah-tuh‑]

noun

1. the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent.

2. a word so formed.

3. the use of imitative and naturally suggestive words for rhetorical, dramatic, or poetic effect.

onomatopoeia

/ ˌɒnəˌmætəpəʊˈɛtɪk, ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə /

noun

1. the formation of words whose sound is imitative of the sound of the noise or action designated, such as hiss, buzz, and bang

2. the use of such words for poetic or rhetorical effect

Other Word Forms

• onomatopoeically adverb
• onomatopoeic adjective
• onomatopoetic adjective
• onomatopoetically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of onomatopoeia¹

First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin, from Greek onomatopoiía “making of words,” from onomato- (stem of ónoma “name”) + poi- (stem of poieîn “to make”) + -ia -ia; -onym, poet

Word History and Origins

Origin of onomatopoeia¹

C16: via Late Latin from Greek onoma name + poiein to make

Example Sentences

The song's all about teetering off the precipice of desire, and the title's an onomatopoeia for your heartbeat.

From BBC

Because there is no onomatopoeia that could distill the noises this animal makes.

From Seattle Times

One type is onomatopoeia; for example, words that describe a cat’s meow or a rooster’s crow are similar across many languages.

From New York Times

An even more challenging and creative way to use body percussion is to create onomatopoeia in accordance with the lyrics, mimicking or relating to the sounds presented in the rhyme.

From Literature

Among his voluminous output, he is most proud of his 1970s “Kotoba Asobi Uta” series, which utilized singsong alliterations and onomatopoeia, as the title “Word Play Songs” implies.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• imitation 
• parallel 
• reflection 
• repetition 
• reverberation 

When To Use

What is onomatopoeia?

An onomatopoeia is the forming of a word by imitating the sound the word is referring to, as in bang, meaning “a loud, explosive sound,” and meow, meaning “the sound a cat makes.”The words themselves are also known as onomatopoeias.Many commonly used words are onomatopoeias. Onomatopoeias are used to give a sense of action or intensity to writing or drawings.