Meaning & use
beeping
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Meanings
noununcountable
A short high electronic sound, or a series of them, made by a machine.
Grammar: Usually uncountable; you can say 'a beeping' when you mean one continuing series of sounds.
Patterns
- the beeping of something
- a loud beeping
- constant beeping
I could hear the beeping of the smoke alarm from the hallway.
The constant beeping of the microwave finally stopped when she opened the door.
There was a faint beeping coming from somewhere in the basement.
adjectivebefore a noun
Making a short high electronic sound, especially as a warning or signal.
Grammar: Comes before a noun, as in 'a beeping alarm'; it is not usually used after 'be'.
Patterns
- a beeping alarm
- a beeping phone
- a beeping sound
A beeping alarm woke everyone in the building at six in the morning.
He ignored the beeping phone and went back to sleep.
The beeping monitor told the nurse that something was wrong.
Common combinations
- the beeping of a machine
- The beeping of the printer meant it had run out of paper.
- a beeping sound
- A beeping sound came from the kitchen every few minutes.
- constant beeping
- The constant beeping from the truck outside made it hard to concentrate.
- a beeping alarm
- The beeping alarm sent everyone out into the street.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bleeping
- Used for the same kind of sound, but often suggests a sound that has been replaced or covered up, as on television.
- ringing
- Ringing is the sound a phone or bell makes, while beeping is a short electronic tone.
- humming
- Humming is a low, steady sound; beeping is high and repeated.
Word family
Commonly confused: beeping or peeping?
beeping vs peeping
Peeping means looking secretly at someone or something, or making a small weak sound like a chick; beeping is only about electronic sounds.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'beeping' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Beeping' is the short electronic sound a machine makes, so an alarm clock is a perfect fit. The other options use it with things that make no electronic sound or with meanings it does not have.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “beeping”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.