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GRE vocabulary

onomatopoeia

nounHigh-frequency wordMore O words

the formation of a word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes

Word origin: From Greek onoma, name, and poiein, to make.

In a sentence

Onomatopoeia in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing onomatopoeia in a sentence.

Words like buzz and sizzle are classic examples of onomatopoeia.

The poem leans heavily on onomatopoeia, its buzz and hiss reproducing the sounds of the summer marsh.

Synonyms
sound symbolismmimesisechoism
Antonyms

None listed.

Usage & nuance

Using “onomatopoeia” well

Onomatopoeia is the formation of words that imitate the sounds they denote, such as crackle or thud. It is a device of sound, distinct from figures of meaning like metaphor.

Common questions

Questions about “onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia (noun) means the formation of a word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes
Here is onomatopoeia used in an example sentence: "Words like buzz and sizzle are classic examples of onomatopoeia." Another example: "The poem leans heavily on onomatopoeia, its buzz and hiss reproducing the sounds of the summer marsh."
Common synonyms for onomatopoeia include sound symbolism, mimesis, echoism.
On the GRE, onomatopoeia appears in passages on poetics and clusters with terms like sound symbolism and echoism, usually as a literary concept rather than a Sentence Equivalence answer.
Yes. Onomatopoeia is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.