ding-dong

1 of 3

noun

ˈdiŋ-ˌdȯŋ 

-ˌdäŋ

1

: the ringing sound produced by repeated strokes especially on a bell

2

: nitwit, kook

ding-dong

2 of 3

verb

ding-donged; ding-donging; ding-dongs

intransitive verb

1

: to make a ding-dong sound

2

: to repeat a sound or action tediously or insistently

ding-dong

3 of 3

adjective

chiefly British

: marked by a rapid exchange or alternation (as of blows)

a ding-dong battle

Synonyms

Noun

• berk [British]
• booby
• charlie [British]
• charley
• cuckoo
• ding-a-ling
• dingbat
• dipstick
• doofus [slang]
• featherhead
• fool
• git [British]
• goose
• half-wit
• jackass
• lunatic
• mooncalf
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• nut
• nutcase
• simp
• simpleton
• turkey
• yo-yo

Examples of ding-dong in a Sentence

Noun

there's always one ding-dong in the tour group who wanders off and gets lost

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Up on the quite lush chopping block in season three is, appropriately, sibling No. 3, traveling ding-dong Colin. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 May 2024

The mess-up puts Jamie and Marian in the crosshairs of a local crime organization headed by a soft-spoken brute known only as the Chief (Colman Domingo), who enlists two thuggish ding-dongs to get the suitcase back. —Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024

More Doug, and less of Sebastian’s ding-dong, might have been an improvement here. —Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 24 May 2023

Adjective

Two San Antonio men were arrested on suspicion of robbing a teenager at gunpoint who reportedly pranked them while playing ding-dong ditch. —Taylor Pettaway, San Antonio Express-News, 6 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1869, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ding-dong

noun

ˈdiŋ-ˌdȯŋ,

-ˌdäŋ

: the ringing sound made by repeated strokes especially on a bell