Knock-knock
intj, noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 Such a sound. colloquial
"For the Philharmonic and its subscribers, the essential thing was to get the acoustics right, which is a task of near impossible complexity. What kind of space can do justice, say, to the plunks and skittering knock-knocks in Lou Harrison’s Concerto in Slendro and also to the sustained, exalted moan of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony?"
- 2 Synonym of knock-knock joke. colloquial
"In the spirit of Tom Swifties and knock-knocks, John W. Little 2d has invented a word game called the Bridge of Sys."
- 1 To make such a sound, as by knocking on (something). ambitransitive, colloquial
"Formally, the poll tax will die today, but it will carry on knock-knocking from the grave."
- 1 A verbal emulation of a knocking sound. colloquial
- 2 A phrase used in lieu of knocking on a door. colloquial
- 3 Used to introduce a knock-knock joke. colloquial
"Knock-knock. / Who's there? / Wendy. / Wendy who? / Wendy you want to open the door?"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"These knock-knock jokes wear thin extremely fast."
Etymology
Onomatopoeic.
Related phrases
More for "knock-knock"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.