20 Adjectives to Describe Sound

Talking

Speaking and communicating with words.

She was talking on the phone for hours.

Whispering

Speaking very quietly so that other people cannot easily hear.

He was whispering during the film.

Shouting

Speaking or calling out very loudly.

She started shouting when she saw the spider.

Singing

Producing musical sounds with the voice.

He enjoys singing in the shower.

Humming

Making a soft, continuous musical sound with the mouth closed.

She hummed while preparing dinner.

Laughing

Making sounds that express amusement or happiness.

He burst out laughing at the joke.

Crying

Producing tears and sounds because of sadness, pain or distress.

The baby began crying loudly.

Screaming

Making a very loud, high-pitched sound because of fear, pain or excitement.

She screamed as the roller coaster went down the steep hill.

Moaning

Making a long, low sound because of pain, discomfort or unhappiness.

He was moaning in pain after the fall.

Groaning

Making a deep sound that expresses pain, annoyance or frustration.

She groaned when she saw how much homework she had.

Sighing

Breathing out slowly and audibly to express relief, tiredness, sadness or frustration.

He sighed with relief when he heard the good news.

Gasping

Suddenly breathing in sharply because of surprise, fear or shock.

She gasped in shock when she opened the door.

Yawning

Opening the mouth wide and taking a deep breath, usually because of tiredness or boredom.

He couldn’t stop yawning during the lecture.

Hiccuping

Making short, involuntary sounds caused by sudden movements of the diaphragm.

He started hiccuping after drinking a fizzy drink too quickly.

Snoring

Breathing noisily while asleep.

His snoring kept everyone awake.

Body sound

Meaning

Example sentence

Coughing

Forcing air suddenly out of the lungs through the mouth.

She kept coughing during the meeting.

Sneezing

Suddenly forcing air out through the nose and mouth.

He started sneezing because of his allergies.

Burping

Releasing gas from the stomach through the mouth.

He burped after drinking the fizzy drink.

Swallowing

Moving food, drink or saliva from the mouth down the throat.

She swallowed nervously before answering the question.

Gagging

Making a choking movement or sound because something irritates the throat.

The unpleasant smell made him gag.

Sniffing

Breathing in sharply through the nose, often to smell something.

She sniffed the flowers before putting them in a vase.

Clearing your throat

Making a small coughing sound to remove irritation or prepare to speak.

He cleared his throat before beginning his speech.

Lip-smacking

Making a soft popping or sucking sound with the lips.

The child smacked his lips after eating the chocolate cake.

Tongue-clicking

Making a short clicking sound with the tongue, often to express disapproval.

She clicked her tongue in disapproval.

Teeth-grinding

Rubbing the upper and lower teeth together, often during sleep.

The dentist noticed signs that he had been grinding his teeth.

Body sound

Meaning

Example sentence

Stomach growling

Making a low, rumbling sound, often because of hunger.

His stomach growled loudly in the silent room.

Gurgling

Making a quiet bubbling sound inside the stomach or throat.

Her stomach began gurgling after lunch.

Flatulence or farting

Releasing gas from the intestines.

He embarrassed everyone by blaming the dog for the fart.

Belching

Releasing gas loudly from the stomach through the mouth; a more formal word for burping.

Belching loudly at the table is considered impolite.

Rumbling

Producing a deep, continuous sound inside the stomach.

There was a loud rumbling in his stomach.

Body sound

Meaning

Example sentence

Normal breathing

Regularly inhaling and exhaling air.

You could hear her calm breathing in the quiet room.

Heavy breathing

Breathing loudly and quickly, usually after physical effort.

He was breathing heavily after running up the stairs.

Wheezing

Breathing with a high-pitched whistling sound.

She began wheezing during the asthma attack.

Sniffling

Repeatedly breathing in through the nose, usually because of a cold or crying.

He kept sniffling throughout the film.

Hyperventilating

Breathing much too quickly, often because of fear, panic or anxiety.

She began hyperventilating during the exam.

Body sound or action

Meaning

Example sentence

Clapping

Hitting the palms of the hands together repeatedly.

The audience clapped loudly at the end of the performance.

Finger-snapping

Making a sharp clicking sound with the fingers.

He snapped his fingers to attract the waiter’s attention.

Slapping

Hitting someone, something or part of your body with an open hand.

She slapped her forehead when she realised her mistake.

Footsteps

The sounds made by someone walking.

His footsteps echoed along the empty corridor.

Knuckle-cracking

Making popping sounds by bending or pulling the finger joints.

She cracked her knuckles before she started typing.

Finger-tapping

Making light, repeated sounds by tapping the fingers on a surface.

He tapped his fingers impatiently on the desk.

Scratching

Rubbing the skin or another surface with the fingernails.

She kept scratching her arm because of the insect bite.

Rubbing your hands

Moving the palms of the hands backwards and forwards against each other.

He rubbed his hands together to keep them warm.

Chewing

Crushing food between the teeth before swallowing it.

She was chewing her gum loudly.

Nail-biting

Biting or chewing the fingernails, often because of nervousness.

He bit his nails while waiting for the test results.

Body sound or movement

Meaning

Example sentence

Joint-popping

A sudden popping sound produced when a joint moves.

His joints popped as he stretched.

Knee-cracking

A cracking or clicking sound produced when the knee moves.

Her knee cracked as she climbed the stairs.

Shoulder-popping

A popping sound or sensation caused by movement in the shoulder joint.

He felt his shoulder pop while exercising at the gym.

Neck-cracking

A sharp clicking or cracking sound produced when the neck moves.

Her neck cracked when she turned her head.

Muscle-twitching

Small, involuntary movements of a muscle.

He felt a muscle twitch in his calf after the workout.