Meaning & use
onomatopoeia
The formation of a word from a sound associated with what it names, such as buzz or hiss.
See it in a sentence
Comic books often use onomatopoeia like 'bam' and 'pow' to show sound effects visually.
The poet used onomatopoeia, choosing words like 'sizzle' and 'crackle' to bring the campfire to life.
A note on using this word
Onomatopoeia is both the linguistic process and the words it produces; pronunciation is often shortened to 'on-uh-mat-uh-PEE-uh'.
Words with a similar meaning
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