ding

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈdiŋ 

dinged; dinging; dings

intransitive verb

1

: to make a ringing sound : clang

2

: to speak with tiresome reiteration

transitive verb

: to dwell on with tiresome repetition

keeps dinging it into him that the less he smokes the better

—Samuel Butler †1902

ding

2 of 4

noun (1)

plural dings

: a sharp ringing sound

heard the ding of the timer

ding

3 of 4

noun (2)

: an instance of minor surface damage (such as a dent)

ding

4 of 4

verb (2)

dinged; dinging; dings

transitive verb

1

informal

a

: to strike or knock against

got dinged on the elbow

b

: to cause minor surface damage to

ding a car door

c

: to do harm to

… has struggled of late to win customers back after reports of a norovirus outbreak … circulated in July, once again dinging the chain's reputation.

—Sarah Whitten

If they don't hit the mark, their review, pay, and chances at promotion get dinged.

—Nanette Byrnes et al.

d

: to cause a usually minor injury to

On Jan. 20, Joel Embiid dinged his knee in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The ever-cautious Sixers held the big man out of the next two games with what was described as a "left knee contusion."

2

informal : to penalize or criticize

Joseph's time hasn't been without some controversy, including recently when the state dinged the district for starting the year with several administrators not holding Tennessee teaching and administrative licenses.

—Jason Gonzales

Historical accounts dinged the Cadburys for not doing enough to help with cocoa worker conditions and slavery in Africa.

—Michael S. Rosenwald

Examples of ding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The timer also dings loudly, which some users may find irritating. —Caroline Thomason, Health, 9 Mar. 2023

Teams may ding Miller for being a 20-year-old freshman, but the Alabama guard's skill as an offensive talent is undeniable. —Michael Shapiro, Chron, 19 Jan. 2023

Noun

Car insurance dings driving score for man riding The Beast. —Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2024

How can borrowers avoid a ding on their credit score? —Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

probably imitative

Noun (2)

ding to strike, from Middle English dingen

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (1)

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1945, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing ding

• ding-a-ling
• ding-dong
• whing-ding

Kids Definition

ding

verb

ˈdiŋ

: to make a ringing sound : clang