What does "clatter" mean?
A rattling noise; a repetition of abrupt, sharp sounds.
Clatter
/ˈklætɚ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rattling noise; a repetition of abrupt, sharp sounds.
- Grammar: clatter is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: commotion, racket, rattle, babble.
- Useful contrasts: calm, hush, hushes.
- Usage evidence: The clatter of the horse's hooves soothed him.
How to use "clatter"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "clatter" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "clatter" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "clatter" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "clatter" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "clatter" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "commotion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "clatter", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rattling noise; a repetition of abrupt, sharp sounds.
"The patter of feet, and clatter of strap and swivel, seemed to swell into a bewildering din, but they were almost upon the fielato offices, where the carretera entered the town, before a rifle flashed."
- 2 a rattling noise (often produced by rapid movement) wordnet
- 3 A loud disturbance.
- 4 Noisy talk or chatter.
- 5 A large group, especially of sibling children; a lot Ireland, informal
"a young mother with a clatter of kids told me ... her Catholic doctor refused point-blank to advise other than the rhythm method."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Alternative form of clitter; scree. alt-of, alternative
"Clatter, or, as it is sometimes called, Clitter, is the name given to the confused masses of granite rocks that are so frequently seen covering large areas of ground on the hill sides of the moor, or clustering around the bases of many of the tors."
Verb
- 1 To make a rattling sound. intransitive
"When all the bees are gone to settle, / You clatter still your brazen kettle."
- 2 make a rattling sound wordnet
- 3 To chatter noisily or rapidly. intransitive
"But if that I knewe what his name hight, / For clatering of me I would him ſone quight; / For his falſe lying, of that I ſpake never, / I could make him ſhortly repent him forever: […]"
- 4 To hit; to smack. Northern-England
""I can't watch it because I have to go outside and clatter someone in the nuts!”"
Example
"The clatter of the horse's hooves soothed him."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "clatter"?
Common synonyms include: commotion, racket, rattle, babble, babblement, bavardage.
How do you use "clatter" in a sentence?
The clatter of the horse's hooves soothed him.
How do you pronounce "clatter"?
Pronounced /ˈklætɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English clatren (“to make a rattling sound”), from Old English *clatrian (attested as the Late Old English gerund clatrung), of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Dutch klateren, kletteren. The noun, derived from the verb, is first attested in the 14ᵗʰ century.