noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The action by which someone or something claps.
2. 2
   a demonstration of approval by clapping the hands together wordnet

Verb

1. 1
   present participle and gerund of clap form-of, gerund, participle, present

Synonyms

All synonyms

applauseacclaimacclamationapplausebig handburst of applause

Example

More examples

"People communicate approval by nodding, by clapping their hands, by smiling or laughing."

Etymology

From Middle English clappynge; equivalent to clap + -ing.

Related phrases

clapping game

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.