Meaning & use
gong
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Meanings
nouncountable
A large metal disc that is hung up and struck with a soft hammer to produce a deep, ringing sound.
Grammar: Countable: a gong, two gongs; often struck, sounded or beaten.
Patterns
- strike a gong
- the sound of a gong
A gong sounded to call the guests to dinner.
The monk struck the gong three times to begin the ceremony.
The orchestra used a gong to open the final movement.
nouncountableBritishinformal
A medal, award or official honor given for achievement or service.
Grammar: Countable and informal: she collected a gong at the awards.
Patterns
- win a gong
- receive a gong
He finally received a gong for forty years of service.
The film won several gongs at the awards.
Few people expect a gong for simply doing their job.
verbtransitive or intransitiverare
To signal or mark something by striking a gong, or by making a sound like one.
Grammar: Rare; can take an object or stand alone: the bell gonged at noon.
Patterns
- gong something
The clock gonged twelve as we arrived.
A temple bell gonged softly in the distance.
They gonged the start of the race.
Word forms
| plural | gongs |
|---|---|
| third person singular | gongs |
| past tense | gonged |
| -ing form | gonging |
Common combinations
- strike a gong
- The host struck a gong to announce dinner.
- sound a gong
- A gong was sounded at the start of the match.
- the clang of a gong
- The clang of a gong echoed across the hall.
- win a gong
- The chef won a gong for her new restaurant.
- bronze gong
- A bronze gong hung beside the temple door.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bell
- A bell has a hollow shape and rings with a clear note, while a gong is a flat disc with a deep, shimmering tone.
- cymbal
- A cymbal is one of a pair or a single plate used in a band and struck with sticks, whereas a gong hangs from a frame and is struck with a mallet.
- medal
- A medal is the object itself and sounds neutral, while gong is a casual and sometimes teasing British word for any honor.
- award
- Award is a broader and more formal word that includes prizes of every kind, while gong is informal British.
Word family
- gonging noun
- the sound of a gong being struck
- gonged adjective
- honored with an award, informal and rare
- tam-tam noun
- a large flat gong used in orchestras
Commonly confused: gong or bong?
gong vs bong
Bong describes a deep, hollow sound like a large bell, and it is not the instrument itself.
Practice
In the sentence He received a gong for his charity work, what does gong mean?
Choose one answer.
In British informal English a gong is a medal or honor. The other options do not fit the idea of being rewarded for charity work.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gong”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.