noun
Uncommon
ding
dihng
Ding (noun) means a small dent, chip, or bit of minor damage. Example: “There's a tiny ding on the car door from the shopping cart.”
noun
1
A small dent, chip, or bit of minor damage.
"There's a tiny ding on the car door from the shopping cart."
"The old table was full of dings from years of family dinners."
"I noticed a small ding in my bike frame after the fall."
2
A short, high-pitched ringing sound, like a bell.
"The elevator gave a ding as it reached the lobby."
"With a bright ding, the microwave told us the soup was ready."
"I heard a ding from my phone and checked the message."
verb
1
To damage something slightly, usually by knocking or striking it.
"I dinged the fender backing out of the driveway."
"Be careful not to ding the walls when you carry the sofa through."
"He dinged his new guitar on the doorframe and felt awful."
2
Informal: to penalize, reject, or criticize someone or something.
"The reviewer dinged the film for its slow pacing."
"He got dinged ten points for turning the assignment in late."
"Some customers ding the restaurant in their reviews for its slow service."
How to use ding
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small mark of damage, a bell-like sound, or — informally — to knock points off or reject something.
Common pairings
ding the car
get dinged
ding sound
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Word forms
- Plural
- dings
- Third person singular
- dings
- Past tense
- dinged, dang, dung
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
There's a tiny _____ on the car door from the shopping cart.
Etymology
From Old English "*dingan", "to strike or beat", related to Old Norse "dengja", "to hammer".
Related words
Rhymes for ding
See all rhymes for ding →Frequently asked questions
What does “ding” mean?
The word “ding” means a small dent, chip, or bit of minor damage. In plain terms, a small mark of damage, a bell-like sound, or — informally — to knock points off or reject something.
How do you pronounce “ding”?
“Ding” is pronounced dihng (/dɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “ding” in a sentence?
Here is “ding” used in a sentence: “There's a tiny ding on the car door from the shopping cart.”
What part of speech is “ding”?
Depending on how it is used, “ding” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “ding” come from?
The word “ding” comes from Old English. From Old English "*dingan", "to strike or beat", related to Old Norse "dengja", "to hammer".
Is “ding” a common word?
“Ding” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “ding” have?
“Ding” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small dent, chip, or bit of minor damage.
What is the difference between a ding and a dent?
A ding is typically a small, minor mark or chip, often used for lighter damage such as a small nick in a car door or piece of furniture. A dent usually refers to a more noticeable depression in a surface, so dings are generally considered less severe than dents.
What does it mean to get dinged in informal usage?
To get dinged informally means to be penalized, rejected, or criticized, such as being dinged for a late application or dinged on a performance review. This figurative sense extends the idea of minor damage to setbacks in evaluation or judgment.
Is ding used differently as a noun for sound versus damage?
Yes, ding as a noun can mean either a small chip or dent, or a short, high-pitched ringing sound like a bell, such as the ding of an elevator arriving. Context usually makes clear which sense is meant, since one refers to physical damage and the other to sound.
