Describing Sounds: English Vocabulary List

sweet, soothing, and pleasant to the ear

"Her voice is dulcet."

"The dulcet tones of the harp lulled the baby to sleep and the mother smiled as she watched her child's eyes slowly close in the dimly lit nursery."

having a pleasing, musical sound

"The song is melodic."

"The melodic songbird woke her up every morning with its beautiful singing and she looked forward to hearing it as she drank her first cup of coffee."

friendly with no disagreement involved

"The relationship is harmonious."

"The choir produced a harmonious sound that filled the entire church and brought tears to the eyes of everyone sitting in the pews listening."

extremely loud and resonant like the sound of thunder

"The applause was thunderous."

"The thunderous applause after the concert lasted for five minutes and the musicians came back on stage three times to bow because the crowd would not stop cheering."

producing repeated or reflected sounds

"The hall is echoing."

"The echoing sound of footsteps in the empty hallway made her feel nervous because she knew that she was the only person in the old building late at night."

having a pattern or regular sequence of sounds, movements, or events

"The drumbeat is rhythmic."

"The rhythmic beating of the drums made everyone want to dance and the crowd moved together as one unit to the steady pulse of the music."

having a harsh, unpleasant, and jarring sound

"The noise is cacophonous."

"The cacophonous noise of the construction site made it impossible to concentrate on work so the office workers closed their windows and put on headphones to block the sound."

(of sound) having a deep, clear, and echoing effect

"His voice is resonant."

"The resonant sound of the church bell echoed through the valley and the villagers knew that it was time to gather for the Sunday morning service."

having a low, deep, and continuous sound especially heard from a long distance

"The thunder is rumbling."

"The rumbling sound of thunder in the distance warned them that a storm was approaching so they quickly packed up their picnic and ran to the car."

having a soft, light, and whispery sound

"The leaves are rustling."

"The rustling of leaves in the wind made the forest feel alive and the hikers walked quietly so they could listen to the peaceful sounds of nature around them."

producing a continuous humming or vibrating sound, like the sound of bees

"The bee is buzzing."

"The buzzing of the bees around the hive was loud and constant and the beekeeper wore a protective suit to avoid getting stung while collecting the honey."

making a high-pitched noise when being moved, often due to friction

"The door is creaking."

"The creaking of the old wooden stairs woke him up every night and he knew it was time to oil the hinges before someone fell through and got hurt."

producing a low, discontented, or continuous sound

"The engine is grumbling."

"The grumbling sound from the engine indicated that something was wrong so the driver pulled over to the side of the road and called a tow truck."

(of a sound) too loud in a way that nothing else can be heard

"The sound was deafening."

"The deafening roar of the jet engines made everyone cover their ears as the plane took off from the runway and climbed steeply into the cloudy sky."

making a soft, low, and indistinct sound

"The stream is murmuring."

"The murmuring of the stream was so peaceful that she fell asleep on the blanket with her book open on her chest and a smile on her face."

the continuous, soft, and unclear noises, like the sound of a baby

"The baby's babbling was very cute."

"The baby's constant babbling filled the quiet room with cheerful sounds and made everyone smile."

the act or sound of producing a prolonged and fricative noise

"The snake's hissing was loud."

"The hissing of the steam from the kettle signaled that the water was ready for tea."

the sharp sound of popping and snapping, often associated with the breaking or burning of materials

"The crackling fire was warm."

"The crackling of the dry leaves underfoot created a satisfying sound as they walked through the forest."

a strong, deep, and long-lasting noise that sounds like the sound of an animal

"The lion's roaring echoed."

"The roaring of the waterfall was so loud that they had to shout to be heard."

a low and continuous sound

"The refrigerator's humming was loud."

"The gentle humming of the refrigerator was a constant, unobtrusive sound in the quiet kitchen."