gong
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A percussion instrument made up of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
gawngIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɡɔŋ
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
music
A percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
music
A percussion instrument consisting of a metal disk that emits a loud resonant sound when struck with a soft hammer.
A metal target that emits a sound when it has been hit.
music
A percussion instrument consisting of a metal plate that is struck with a softheaded drumstick
uncountable
A kind of cultivation energy, more powerful than qi.
uncountable
An advanced practice that cultivates such energy.
verb
britishslangtransitive
To give an award or medal to.
To halt (originally, a contestant in a talent show; later, a performer, a speaker).
To warn.
intransitive
To make the sound of a gong; to ring a gong.
transitive
To send a signal to, using a gong or similar device.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer; used as an orchestral instrument
Used this way, gong is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is a musical use: it is everyday language among musicians and listeners, and specialised outside that.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Music/performance
- Arts writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use gong
- “At the start of the meditation class, a loud gong was struck.”noun
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned bells that are struck with a hammer
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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.