What does "song" mean?
A musical composition with lyrics for voice or voices, performed by singing.
Song
/sɒŋ/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A musical composition with lyrics for voice or voices, performed by singing.
- Grammar: song is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: a number, a single, ado, air.
- Useful contrasts: lecture, noise, notes.
- Usage evidence: This song is so moving that it brings tears to my eyes.
How to use "song"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "song" 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 "song" 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 "song" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "song" 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 "song" is acting as name, noun 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 "a number" 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 "song", 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 musical composition with lyrics for voice or voices, performed by singing. countable, uncountable
"Thomas listened to his favorite song on the radio yesterday."
- 2 the act of singing wordnet
- 3 Any musical composition. broadly, countable, uncountable
- 4 the characteristic sound produced by a bird wordnet
- 5 Poetical composition; poetry; verse. countable, uncountable
"This subject for heroic song."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a short musical composition with words wordnet
- 7 The act or art of singing. countable, uncountable
"How often the enthusiast has dwelt upon the birds bursting into song, the buds bursting into flower, all nature bursting into life!—as though a state of things in which everything around us is bursting is at all pleasant."
- 8 a distinctive or characteristic sound wordnet
- 9 A melodious sound made by a bird, insect, whale or other animal. countable, uncountable
"I love hearing the song of canary birds."
- 10 the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy wordnet
- 11 The distinctive sound that a male bird utters to attract a mate or to protect his territory; contrasts with call; also, similar vocalisations made by female birds. countable, uncountable
- 12 a very small sum wordnet
- 13 A low price, especially one under the expected value; chiefly in for a song. countable, uncountable
"He bought that car for a song."
- 14 An object of derision; a laughing stock. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword."
Proper Noun
- 1 A former dynasty in China, reigning from the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to the beginning of the Yuan. historical
"Up until the Song dynasty (960 to 1279 A.D.), it was the case that, like in the West, each person would get their own meal."
- 2 A river in Papua New Guinea.
- 3 A local government area of Adamawa State, Nigeria.
- 4 A surname from Khmer.
- 5 A district of Phrae Province, Thailand.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A former empire in China, occupying the eastern half of modern China. historical
- 7 The era of Chinese history during which the dynasty reigned. historical
- 8 A surname from Chinese.
- 9 A river in China; any of various minor rivers in China.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"This song is so moving that it brings tears to my eyes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "song"?
Common synonyms include: a number, a single, ado, air, air, airs.
How do you use "song" in a sentence?
This song is so moving that it brings tears to my eyes.
How do you pronounce "song"?
Pronounced /sɒŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English song, sang, from Old English sang, from Proto-West Germanic *sangu, from Proto-Germanic *sangwaz (“singing, song”), from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ- (“to sing”). Cognate with Scots sang, song (“singing, song”), Saterland Frisian Song (“song”), West Frisian sang (“song”), Dutch zang (“song”), Low German sang (“song”), German Sang (“singing, song”), Swedish sång (“song”), Norwegian Bokmål sang (“song”), Norwegian Nynorsk song (“song”), Icelandic söngur (“song”), Ancient Greek ὀμφή (omphḗ, “voice, oracle”). More at sing.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Mandarin 宋 (Sòng).
Etymology 3
Derived from Khmer សុង (song).
Etymology 4
Derived from Thai สอง (sɔ̌ɔng).