noun

ping

pihng

noun

A short, high-pitched sound, or (in computing) a small network signal used to check if a device is reachable.

"The elevator gave a soft ping as it reached the floor."

"I sent a ping to the server to check if it was online."

verb

To send a brief message to someone, often to check in or get their attention.

"Ping me when you land at the airport."

"She pinged her coworker on the chat app for a quick answer."

How to Use Ping

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA short, sharp sound or signal — or, informally, a quick message sent to someone.

Common pairings

ping someone send a ping network ping

pinged past tense, pang past tense, pung past tense, pings plural, Pings plural, pings singular

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The elevator gave a soft _____ as it reached the floor.

Originally imitative of a short, sharp sound; the computing sense comes from the ping network utility, itself named for sonar pings.

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