click

verb · noun

Simple meaning

Cause to make a snapping sound.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

klik

US device voice

IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈklɪk

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.

verb

transitive
To cause to make a click; to operate (a switch, etc) so that it makes a click.
Cause to make a snapping sound
computing
To press and release (a button on a computer mouse).
intransitive
To make sense suddenly.
british
To snap one's fingers.
intransitive
To get along well.

noun

graphical user interface
Depression of a button on a computer mouse
graphical user interface
The act of pressing a button on a computer mouse or similar input device, both as a physical act and a reaction in the software.
The act of operating a switch, etc., so that it clicks.
A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch.
british
The act of snapping one's fingers.
The sound made by a dolphin.

Word at a Glance

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

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To cause to make a click; to operate (a switch, etc) so that it makes a click.

Used this way, click 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: No strong connotation
Usage feel: Neutral and straightforward

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

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

mouse clickclick nextsimply clickright clickclick yesclick eventnow clickbutton click

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

clack
To cause to make a sudden, sharp noise, or succession of noises.
cluck
To cause (the tongue) to make a clicking sound.
tick
To make a clicking noise similar to the movement of the hands of an analog clock.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

click beetlenounCompound term
Able to right itself when on its back by flipping into the air with a clicking sound.
click-clacknounCompound term
A succession of clicks.
click offverbCompound term
Perform or finish an action rapidly.
click openverbCompound term
Open with a clicking sound.
clickety-clicknounCompound term
A fast and rhythmic click-clack.
mouse clicknounCompound term
Depression of a button on a computer mouse.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

clickety-clacknounRelated term
A fast and rhythmic click-clack.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: depression of a button on a computer mouse

mouse click

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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.