sing
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Related to sing: sign
sing
(sĭng)v. sang (săng) or sung (sŭng), sung, sing·ing, sings
v.intr.
1. Music
a. To utter a series of words or sounds in musical tones.
b. To vocalize songs or selections.
c. To perform songs or selections as a trained or professional singer.
d. To produce sounds when played: made the violin sing.
2.
a. To make melodious sounds: birds singing outside the window.
b. To give or have the effect of melody; lilt.
3. To make a high whining, humming, or whistling sound.
4. To be filled with a buzzing or ringing sound.
5.
a. To proclaim or extol something in verse.
b. To write poetry.
6. Slang To give information or evidence against someone.
v.tr.
1. Music
a. To produce the musical sound of: sang a love song.
b. To utter with musical inflections: She sang the message.
c. To bring to a specified state by singing: sang the baby to sleep.
2. To intone or chant (parts of the Mass, for example).
3. To proclaim or extol, especially in verse: sang his praises.
n. Music
Phrasal Verb: A gathering of people for group singing.
sing out
To call out loudly.
sing′a·ble adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
sing
(sɪŋ)vb, sings, singing, sang or sung
1. (Music, other) to produce or articulate (sounds, words, a song, etc) with definite and usually specific musical intonation
2. (Music, other) (when: intr, often foll by to) to perform (a song) to the accompaniment (of): to sing to a guitar.
3. (Music, other) (foll by: of) to tell a story or tale in song (about): I sing of a maiden.
4. (Music, other) (foll by: to) to address a song (to) or perform a song (for)
5. (Music, other) (intr) to perform songs for a living, as a professional singer
6. (intr) (esp of certain birds and insects) to utter calls or sounds reminiscent of music
7. (when: intr, usually foll by of) to tell (something) or give praise (to someone), esp in verse: the poet who sings of the Trojan dead.
8. (intr) to make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound: the kettle is singing; the arrow sang past his ear.
9. (intr) (of the ears) to experience a continuous ringing or humming sound
10. (tr) (esp in church services) to chant or intone (a prayer, psalm, etc)
11. (tr) to bring to a given state by singing: to sing a child to sleep.
12. (intr) slang chiefly US to confess or act as an informer
13. (Alternative Belief Systems) (intr) Austral (in Aboriginal witchcraft) to bring about a person's death by incantation. The same power can sometimes be used beneficently
n
14. (Music, other) informal an act or performance of singing
15. a ringing or whizzing sound, as of bullets
[Old English singan; related to Old Norse syngja to sing, Gothic siggwan, Old High German singan]
ˈsingable adj
ˈsinging adj, n
Usage: See at ring2
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sing
(sɪŋ)v. sang, often, sung; sung; sing•ing; v.i.
1. to utter words or sounds in succession with musical modulations of the voice; vocalize melodically.
2. to perform songs or voice compositions.
3. (of an animal) to produce a patterned vocal signal, as in courtship or territorial display.
4. to tell about or praise someone or something in verse or song.
5. to admit of being sung, as verses.
6. to make a whistling, ringing, or whizzing sound: The bullet sang past his ear.
7. to give out a continuous murmuring, burbling, or other euphonious sound.
8. to have the sensation of a ringing or humming sound, as the ears.
9. Slang. to confess or act as an informer; squeal.
v.t. 10. to utter with musical modulations of the voice, as a song.
11. to proclaim enthusiastically: to sing someone's praises.
12. to bring, send, put, etc., with or by singing: to sing a baby to sleep.
13. to chant or intone: to sing mass.
14. to escort or accompany with singing.
15. to tell or praise in verse or song.
16. sing out, to call in a loud voice; shout.
n. 17. a gathering or meeting of people for the purpose of singing: a community sing.
18. a singing, ringing, or whistling sound.
[before 900; Middle English; Old English singan, c. Old Saxon, Old High German singan, Old Norse syngva, Gothic siggwan]
sing′a•ble, adj.
sing.
singular.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
sing
Past participle: sung
Gerund: singing
Imperative |
---|
sing |
sing |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb | 1. | sing - deliver by singing; "Sing Christmas carols" music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest" sing - to make melodious sounds; "The nightingale was singing" sing - produce tones with the voice; "She was singing while she was cooking"; "My brother sings very well" solmizate - sing by the syllables of solmization; "solmizate a song before you learn the lyrics" troll - sing the parts of (a round) in succession hymn - sing a hymn carol - sing carols; "They went caroling on Christmas Day" madrigal - sing madrigals; "The group was madrigaling beautifully" |
2. | sing - produce tones with the voice; "She was singing while she was cooking"; "My brother sings very well" music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest" mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize" place - sing a note with the correct pitch troll - sing loudly and without inhibition croon - sing softly cantillate, chant, intonate, intone - recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm; "The rabbi chanted a prayer" yodel, descant, warble - sing by changing register; sing by yodeling; "The Austrians were yodeling in the mountains" treble - sing treble hum - sing with closed lips; "She hummed a melody" descant on - sing a descant on a main tune or melody descant - sing in descant sing along - sing with a choir or an orchestra; "Every year the local orchestra and choir perform the `Messiah' and the audience is invited to sing along" psalm - sing or celebrate in psalms; "He psalms the works of God" minstrel - celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels solmizate - sing using syllables like `do', `re' and `mi' to represent the tones of the scale; "The voice teacher showed the students how to solmizate" sing - deliver by singing; "Sing Christmas carols" | |
3. | sing - to make melodious sounds; "The nightingale was singing" let loose, let out, utter, emit - express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words); "She let out a big heavy sigh"; "He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand" sing - deliver by singing; "Sing Christmas carols" | |
4. | sing - make a whining, ringing, or whistling sound; "the kettle was singing"; "the bullet sang past his ear" | |
5. | sing - divulge confidential information or secrets; "Be careful--his secretary talks" babble out, blab, blab out, let the cat out of the bag, peach, spill the beans, tattle, babble, talk disclose, let on, divulge, expose, give away, let out, reveal, unwrap, discover, bring out, break - make known to the public information that was previously known only to a few people or that was meant to be kept a secret; "The auction house would not disclose the price at which the van Gogh had sold"; "The actress won't reveal how old she is"; "bring out the truth"; "he broke the news to her"; "unwrap the evidence in the murder case" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
sing
verb
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
sing
verbThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
sing
[sɪŋ] (sang (pt) (sung (pp)))A. VT [+ song, words] → cantar (fig) (= intone) → entonar
sing us a song! → ¡cántanos una canción!
the words are sung to the tune of → la letra se canta con la melodía de ...
she sings alto → canta contralto
to sing a child to sleep → arrullar a un niño, adormecer a un niño cantando
to sing sb's praises → cantar las alabanzas de algn
to sing a different tune → ver las cosas de otro color
see also heart A2
sing us a song! → ¡cántanos una canción!
the words are sung to the tune of → la letra se canta con la melodía de ...
she sings alto → canta contralto
to sing a child to sleep → arrullar a un niño, adormecer a un niño cantando
to sing sb's praises → cantar las alabanzas de algn
to sing a different tune → ver las cosas de otro color
see also heart A2
B. VI
sing along VI + ADV he invited the audience to sing along → invitó al publico a cantar (a coro) con él
I like records that get people singing along → me gustan los discos en que la gente corea las canciones
to sing along with or to a song → corear una canción
to sing along with or to a record/the radio → cantar con un disco/la radio
the audience was singing along to his latest hit → el público cantaba a coro or coreaba su último éxito
I like records that get people singing along → me gustan los discos en que la gente corea las canciones
to sing along with or to a song → corear una canción
to sing along with or to a record/the radio → cantar con un disco/la radio
the audience was singing along to his latest hit → el público cantaba a coro or coreaba su último éxito
sing out
A. VI + ADV (lit) → cantar con voz fuerte (fig) → pegar un grito
if you want anything, just sing out → si quieres algo no tienes más que pegarme un grito
if you want anything, just sing out → si quieres algo no tienes más que pegarme un grito
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
sing
(siŋ) – past tense sang (saŋ) : past participle sung (saŋ) – verb to make (musical sounds) with one's voice. He sings very well; She sang a Scottish song; I could hear the birds singing in the trees.cantar
ˈsinger nounˈsinging noun the art or activity of making musical sounds with one's voice. Do you do much singing nowadays?; (also adjective) a singing lesson/teacher.canto, cantar
sing outKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
sing
→ cantarMultilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009