English Explanatory Dictionary

sing

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To produce musical or harmonious sounds with one’s voice.
  2. To perform a vocal part in a musical composition, regardless of technique.
  3. To express audibly by means of a harmonious vocalization.
  4. To soothe with singing.
  5. Of birds, to vocalise:
  6. To produce a 'song', for the purposes of defending a breeding territory or to attract a mate.
  7. To produce any type of melodious vocalisation.
  8. To confess under interrogation.
  9. To make a small, shrill sound.
  10. To relate in verse; to celebrate in poetry; to praise.
  11. To display fine qualities; to stand out as excellent.
  12. To be capable of being sung; to produce a certain effect by being sung.
noun
  1. The act, or event, of singing songs.
  2. Any sound likened to human singing.
name
  1. A surname from English [in turn originating as an occupation].
  2. A surname from Chinese.
  3. Alternative spelling of Singh A South Asian surname.
  4. a Sikh surname

Pronunciation

/ˈsɪŋ/ [ˈsɪŋ] en-uk-sing.ogg en-us-sing.ogg /ˈsiŋ/ [ˈsiŋ] ~ [ˈsɪ̝ŋ] /ˈsɪŋɡ/ [ˈsɪŋɡ]

Word forms

sing sings singing sang sung sungen no-table-tags glossary singest sangest sungest singeth

Etymology

From Middle English singen, from Old English singan (“to sing”), from Proto-West Germanic *singwan, from Proto-Germanic *singwaną (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ- (“to recite, sing”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian sjunge (“to sing”), West Frisian sjonge (“to sing”), Dutch zingen (“to sing”), German Low German singen (“to sing”), German singen (“to sing”), Danish synge (“to sing”), Swedish sjunga (“to sing”), Icelandic syngja (“to sing”), Ancient Greek ὀμφή (omphḗ, “voice, oracle”).

Synonyms

sing

Antonyms

lip-sync lip sync mime mouth

Related words

song jook-sing singe sing-sing sing Singer Singh

Derived words

all-singing all-dancing all-singing-and-dancing besing countersing foresing forsing go sing mis-sing New Guinea singing dog outsing oversing overtone singing part singing resing scat singing sight sing singability singable sing a different tune singalong sing along sing-along singback singer sing for one's supper sing from the same hymnal sing from the same hymnbook sing from the same hymn sheet singing singing chambermaid singing cowboy singing dog singing fish singing flame singing girl singing ground singing hinny singing sand singing saw singing soprano singing telegram singing voice sing Kumbaya sing like a bird sing like a canary sing off the same hymn sheet sing out sing small sing soprano singspiration singster sing the praises sing the praises of sing the same tune sing up throat singing undersing unsing singsong filksing
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