Crickets

//ˈkɹɪk.ɪts// intj, noun, slang

intj, noun, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    plural of cricket. form-of, plural
  2. 2
    Used alone or in metaphorically descriptive phrases: absolute silence where meaningful sound is expected; lack of response; no communication. Canada, US, figuratively, humorous, often, singular, slang

    "to hear crickets"

Intj
  1. 1
    Expressing mild annoyance or surprise.

    "Seraphina. You have more money, Betsy, than you will know how to spend; all your own. / Betsy. Oh, gracious! Won't I have as much dinner as I can eat every day! / Mrs. Green. Yes, my love, you can have everything you wish for. / Betsy. Oh, crickets!"

Synonyms

All synonyms
silencetumbleweed moment

Example

More examples

"Why are there crickets in my room?"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Sense 2 is derived from the cinematic metaphor of chirping crickets at night, signaling (otherwise) complete quiet.

Etymology 2

See Jiminy Cricket.

Related phrases

Jerusalem cricketsholy cricketsjiminy crickets

More for "crickets"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

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