What does "sounding" mean?
The action of the verb to sound.
Sounding
/ˈsaʊndɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The action of the verb to sound.
- Grammar: sounding is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: audible, bathometry, bathymetry, booming.
- Useful contrasts: depthless, inaudible, shallowness.
- Usage evidence: At the risk of sounding too forward, I'd like to make a comment.
How to use "sounding"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sounding" 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 "sounding" 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 "sounding" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sounding" 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 "sounding" is acting as adj, noun, verb 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 "audible" 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 "sounding", 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 The action of the verb to sound.
"And thus did the trumpets sound one-and-twenty blasts every day; […] three soundings at the three pausings of the music, […]"
- 2 A test made with a probe or sonde. countable, uncountable
"Soundings showed wide variations in depths of water, and from the dredgings of the bottom came new types of sediment […]"
- 3 the act of measuring depth of water (usually with a sounding line) wordnet
- 4 A measured depth of water. countable, uncountable
"The sailor took a sounding every five minutes"
- 5 a measure of the depth of water taken with a sounding line wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Any place or part of the ocean, or other water, where a sounding line will reach the bottom. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas; Until we strike soundings in the Channel of old England"
- 7 The sand, shells, etc. brought up by the sounding lead when it has touched bottom. countable, uncountable
- 8 The act of inserting of a thin metal rod into the urethra of the penis for medical or sexual purposes.(See urethral sounding). countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of sound form-of, gerund, participle, present
"Little Mary was sounding very sleepy, so I tucked her in bed."
Adjective
- 1 Emitting a sound. not-comparable
"The sounding bell woke me up."
- 2 Sonorous. not-comparable
"sounding words"
Adjective
- 1 making or having a sound as specified; used as a combining form wordnet
- 2 having volume or deepness wordnet
- 3 appearing to be as specified; usually used as combining forms wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"At the risk of sounding too forward, I'd like to make a comment."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sounding"?
Common synonyms include: audible, bathometry, bathymetry, booming, chiming, depth.
How do you use "sounding" in a sentence?
At the risk of sounding too forward, I'd like to make a comment.
How do you pronounce "sounding"?
Pronounced /ˈsaʊndɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From sound (“produce a sound”) + -ing.
Etymology 2
From sound (“examine with the instrument called a sound, or by auscultation or percussion”) + -ing.