Standard Lemma guide

clank

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈklæŋk/ without æ-raising
  • [ˈkhl̥æŋk] without æ-raising
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /ˈkleɪ̯ŋk/
  • Canada, US: [ˈkhl̥eɪ̯ŋk] ~ /ˈklɛ̃ŋk/
  • Canada, US: [ˈkhl̥ɛ̃ŋk]
  • rhymes with -æŋk
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AE1 NG K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A loud, hard sound of metal hitting metal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To make a clanking sound

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The chains clanked.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To cause to sound with a clank.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The prisoners clank their chains.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a loud resonant repeating noise

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he could hear the clang of distant bells

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clang, clangor, clangour, clangoring, clash, crash

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: noise

5

verb

Meaning 5

make a clank

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the train clanked through the village

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sound, go

History

Etymology

Onomatopoeic.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: zanqıltı — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Czech: cinkání — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Czech: řinčení — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Finnish: kalahdus — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Finnish: kalina — loud, hard metallic sound
  • French: cliquetis — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Macedonian: ѕвек (dzvek) — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Macedonian: ѕвекот (dzvekot) — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Macedonian: ждрингот (ždringot) — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Russian: лязг (ljazg) — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Russian: бряца́ние (brjacánije) — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Serbo-Croatian: zvek — loud, hard metallic sound
  • Arabic: قَعْقَعَ (qaʕqaʕa) — to make a clanking sound
  • Czech: řinčet — to make a clanking sound
  • Esperanto: klaki — to make a clanking sound
  • Finnish: kalauttaa — to make a clanking sound
  • Finnish: kalahtaa — to make a clanking sound
  • Finnish: kalistaa — to make a clanking sound
  • Finnish: kalistella — to make a clanking sound
  • Finnish: kalisuttaa — to make a clanking sound
  • Finnish: kalahdella — to make a clanking sound
  • French: cliqueter — to make a clanking sound
  • German: klirren — to make a clanking sound
  • German: kläppern — to make a clanking sound
  • Japanese: ガチャガチャする (gachagacha suru) — to make a clanking sound
  • Portuguese: retinir — to make a clanking sound
  • Russian: ля́згать (ljázgatʹ) — to make a clanking sound
  • Russian: греме́ть (gremétʹ) — to make a clanking sound
  • Russian: бряца́ть (brjacátʹ) — to make a clanking sound
  • Russian: звя́кать (zvjákatʹ) — to make a clanking sound
  • German: aneinanderschlagen — to cause to sound with a clank