button

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A small round control or a device that activates something

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

buhtuhn

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈbʌtən

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

clothing
A knob or disc that is passed through a loop or (buttonhole), serving as a fastener.
clothing
A knob; a small ball; a small, roundish mass.
A device that when pressed will release part of a mechanism
A mechanical device designed to be pressed with a finger in order to open or close an electric circuit or to activate a mechanism.
graphical user interface
An on-screen control that can be selected as an activator of an attached function.
us
A badge worn on clothes, fixed with a pin through the fabric.

verb

informal
To stop talking.
intransitive
To be fastened by a button or buttons.
Provide with buttons

Word at a Glance

Difficulty: A1 · Beginner (estimated)
Frequency: Very Common
Typical Use: Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: (clothing) A knob or disc that is passed through a loop or (buttonhole), serving as a fastener.

Used this way, button is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone: Neutral
Formality: Neutral
Intensity: Not strongly marked
How common: Moderately common
Connotation: Matter-of-fact
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use button

“The elevator was operated by push buttons.”noun

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

mouse buttonradio buttonpush buttonbelly buttonstart buttoncommand buttonclose buttonoption button

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

button mangrovenounCompound term
Evergreen tree or shrub with fruit resembling buttons and yielding heavy hard compact wood.
button pinknounCompound term
Much-branched pink with flowers in clusters.
button-quailnounCompound term
Small quail-like terrestrial bird of southern Eurasia and northern Africa that lacks a hind toe.
button snakerootnounCompound term
Coarse prickly perennial eryngo of United States thought to cure rattlesnake bite.
button treenounCompound term
Evergreen tree or shrub with fruit resembling buttons and yielding heavy hard compact wood.
button upverbCompound term
Refuse to talk or stop talking.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Antonyms

Sense: to stop talking

unbutton

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “button” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.