What does "ping" mean?
A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
Ping
/pɪŋ/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
- Grammar: ping is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: alert, alerting, beep, boinks.
- Useful contrasts: delay, disregard, ignore.
- Usage evidence: Ping pong is also called table tennis.
How to use "ping"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ping" 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 "ping" 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 "ping" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ping" 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 "ping" is acting as name, 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 "alert" 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 "ping", 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 high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
"My car used to make an odd ping, but after the last oil change it went away."
- 2 a sharp high-pitched resonant sound (as of a sonar echo or a bullet striking metal) wordnet
- 3 A pulse of high-pitched or ultrasonic sound whose echoes provide information about nearby objects and vessels.
"The submarine sent out a ping and got an echo from a battleship."
- 4 A packet which a remote host is expected to echo, thus indicating its presence.
"The network is overloaded from all the pings going out."
- 5 An email or other message sent requesting acknowledgement. Internet
"I sent a ping to the insurance company to see if they received our claim."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Latency.
""You low ping c**t, you only win cos of your ping!" > > And other such insights into why I was winning."
- 7 A means of highlighting a feature on the game map so that allied players can see it.
- 8 A notification.
Verb
- 1 To make a high-pitched, short and somewhat sharp sound.
"My car was pinging until my last oil change."
- 2 send a message from one computer to another to check whether it is reachable and active wordnet
- 3 To emit a signal and then listen for its echo in order to detect objects.
- 4 contact, usually in order to remind of something wordnet
- 5 To send a packet in order to determine whether a host is present, particularly by use of the ping utility.
"I'm pinging their server."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 hit with a pinging noise wordnet
- 7 To send an email or other message to someone in hopes of eliciting a response. broadly
"I'll ping the insurance company again to see if they've received our claim."
- 8 make a short high-pitched sound wordnet
- 9 To flick. colloquial
"I pinged the crumb off the table with my finger."
- 10 sound like a car engine that is firing too early wordnet
- 11 To bounce. colloquial, intransitive
"The ball pinged off the wall and came hurtling back."
- 12 To cause something to bounce. colloquial, transitive
"Charging through the Bolton midfield to find a free moment, Essien then pinged the ball into the space into which Drogba was intelligently running."
- 13 To call out audibly. colloquial
"However, after an inside pass from Moody to Tom Croft and a surge from the England blind-side, number eight James Haskell was eventually pinged from in front of the posts for not releasing."
- 14 To penalize. Australia, colloquial
"Gary Ablett was pinged for holding the ball and gave away a free kick."
- 15 To trigger a person's gaydar; to look or act obviously homosexual. ambitransitive, slang
"Bob has two kids, but he really pings."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A female given name.
Example
"Ping pong is also called table tennis."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ping"?
Common synonyms include: alert, alerting, beep, boinks, buzz, check.
How do you use "ping" in a sentence?
Ping pong is also called table tennis.
How do you pronounce "ping"?
Pronounced /pɪŋ/.
Etymology
Partly onomatopoeic, and partly continuing Middle English pingen (“to push, shove, pierce, stab, prod, goad, urge, feel remorse, incite”), from Old English pyngan (“to prick”), in turn likely from pungere. Compare English pang.