song
song
Pronunciation
song: /sɒŋ/
sɒŋ:
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/ɒ/ - open-mid back rounded vowel
/ŋ/ - voiced velar nasal
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: song
Plural Noun: songs
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A short musical composition of words and music, typically intended to be sung by the human voice.
Synonyms: tune, melody, ditty, vocal, hymn (if religious)
Antonyms: silence, noise (in the sense of unmusical sound)
Definition 2: The act or art of singing.
Synonyms: singing, vocalization, warbling, chanting
Antonyms: muteness, speechlessness
Definition 3: A distinctive vocal sound made by certain birds or other animals.
Synonyms: call, chirp, warble, cry
Antonyms: silence, quiet (in the context of the animal's vocalizations)
Verb (less common as a standalone verb, often implies "to sing a song")
Definition 1: (Usually used with "sing") To produce musical sounds with the voice, often with words.
Synonyms: sing, vocalize, chant, croon
Antonyms: whisper, mutter (if not producing musical sound)
Examples of Use
Books: "The hobbits began to sing a merry song as they walked along the road, their voices echoing through the trees." (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, July 1954)
Newspapers: "Taylor Swift's latest song, 'Cruel Summer,' has topped the charts for the fifth consecutive week, defying expectations for a track released several years ago." (The New York Times)
Online Publications: "Scientists are studying the intricate song of humpback whales to understand their complex communication patterns." (National Geographic Online)
Music Album Title: Songs in the Key of Life (Stevie Wonder album title, September 1976)
Film Title: The Sound of Music (Title of a popular musical film, March 1965)
Television Show (Episode Title/Reference): "In an episode of The Simpsons, Homer attempts to write a love song for Marge, with predictably disastrous results." (The Simpsons, October 1990)
Podcast Episode Title: "The History of Protest Songs" (Episode title from Throughline podcast by NPR, May 2020)
Social Media (Tweet/Post): "Just heard the most incredible new song by an emerging artist – definitely check it out!" (User on X, formerly Twitter)
General Public Discourse: "That song really takes me back to my childhood." (Common conversational phrase)
Concert Promotion: "Don't miss [Band Name] performing all their classic songs live at the arena next month!" (Concert poster)
10 Quotes Using Song
"Our sweetest songs are those of saddest thought." (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
"Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought." (E.Y. Harburg)
"You can cage the singer but not the song." (Harry Belafonte)
"Life is a song - sing it." (Sai Baba)
"A bird doesn't sing because he has an answer—he sings because he has a song." (Joan Walsh Anglund)
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." (J.R.R. Tolkien)
"Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music." (Ronald Reagan)
"And I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs." (Stephen Chbosky)
"The best thing about being a DJ is making people happy. There is nothing like seeing people get up from a table to dance or the expression on their face when they hear a song they love." (Chelsea Leyland)
Etymology
The word "song" has a long history, going back to the very roots of the English language. It comes from an Old English word, "sang," which meant pretty much what "song" means today: a piece of vocal music, or the act of singing.
This Old English "sang" itself came from an even older source, a common ancestor of many Germanic languages (like German and Dutch), which had a root word that meant "to sing." You can see this connection in words like the German "Gesang" (meaning "singing" or "song").
So, to put it simply, the word "song" hasn't changed much in its core meaning for over a thousand years. Its first known use in English, as "sang," referred to what we still understand as a sung piece of music or the act of producing it.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Song
For a song: Very cheaply or for very little money.
The same old song and dance: A familiar, often tiresome, excuse or explanation.
To make a song and dance about something: To make an unnecessarily elaborate fuss about something.
To sing your own song: To express your own unique opinion or follow your own path.
To change your tune (or song): To alter one's opinion or attitude.
To go out with a song: To end something, especially a career or project, on a positive or memorable note.
Swan song: A final performance or effort, typically before retirement or death.
To have a song in one's heart: To feel happy and optimistic.
A merry song: A cheerful or joyful tune.
To strike up a song: To begin to sing or play a musical piece.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of song from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
