noun · verb · 4 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.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈdɔː.bɛl/
General-American:/ˈdɔɹ.bɛl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D AO1 R B EH2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A bell, buzzer, or chime device mounted on or adjacent to a door's exterior, meant to be rung by a visitor to announce one's presence.
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 ring many doorbells in an effort to contact people and thereby spread information or solicit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To ring many doorbells of (target people or an area) in an effort to contact people and thereby spread information or solicit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
We doorbelled the whole district in an effort to get out the vote.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a push button at an outer door that gives a ringing or buzzing signal when pushed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bell, buzzer
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: push button, push, button
Narrower terms: night bell
History
Etymology
From door + bell.
Across languages
Translations
72 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
جَرَس الْبَاب
(jaras al-bāb)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Arabic:
جَرَس
(jaras)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Armenian:
դռան զանգ
(dṙan zang)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Belarusian:
дзвярны́ звано́к
(dzvjarný zvanók)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Belarusian:
звано́к
(zvanók)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Central Bikol:
timbre
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Bulgarian:
вхо́ден звъне́ц
(vhóden zvǎnéc)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Catalan:
timbre
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Chinese Cantonese:
門鐘 /门钟
(mun4 zung1)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Chinese Mandarin:
門鈴 /门铃
(ménlíng)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Chinese Mandarin:
電鈴 /电铃
(diànlíng)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Czech:
domovní zvonek
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Czech:
zvonek
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Danish:
dørklokke
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Dutch:
deurbel
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Dutch:
schel
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Esperanto:
pordosonorilo
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Estonian:
uksekell
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Finnish:
ovikello
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
French:
sonnette
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Galician:
timbre
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Georgian:
ზარი
(zari)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
German:
Türklingel
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
German:
Klingel
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
German:
Türglocke
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
German:
Hausglocke
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Greek:
κουδούνι πόρτας
(koudoúni pórtas)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Hindi:
दर्वाज़ी की घंटी
(darvāzī kī ghaṇṭī)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Hindi:
घंटी
(ghaṇṭī)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Hindi:
दरवाज़े की घंटी
(darvāze kī ghaṇṭī)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Hungarian:
csengő
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Hungarian:
ajtócsengő
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Icelandic:
dyrabjalla
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Ido:
pordoklosheto
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Indonesian:
bel pintu
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Italian:
campanello
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Japanese:
呼び鈴
(yobirin)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Japanese:
ドアベル
(doaberu)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Japanese:
ドアチャイム
(doachaimu)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Japanese:
ベル
(beru)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Japanese:
電鈴
(denrei)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Korean:
초인종
(choinjong)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Korean:
도어폰
(do'eopon)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Korean:
벨
(bel)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Korean:
전령
(jeollyeong)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Low German:
Döörklock
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Malay:
loceng pintu
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Norwegian Bokmål:
dørklokke
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Norwegian Bokmål:
ringeklokke
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Norwegian Nynorsk:
dørklokke
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Ossetian:
дуары дзӕнгӕрӕг
(dwary ʒængæræg)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Iranian Persian:
زَنْگِ دَر
(zang-e dar)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Polish:
dzwonek do drzwi
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Polish:
dzwonek
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Portuguese:
campainha
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Punjabi:
ਘੰਟੀ
(ghaṇṭī)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Punjabi:
گَھنْٹِی
(ghanṭī)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Romanian:
sonerie
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Russian:
дверно́й звоно́к
(dvernój zvonók)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Russian:
звоно́к
(zvonók)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Spanish:
timbre
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Swedish:
dörrklocka
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Tagalog:
timbre
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Tagalog:
dorbel
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Thai:
ออด
(ɔ̀ɔt)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Thai:
กริ่ง
(grìng)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Turkish:
zil
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Turkish:
kapı zili
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Ukrainian:
дверни́й дзвіно́к
(dvernýj dzvinók)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Ukrainian:
дзвіно́к
(dzvinók)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Urdu:
گَھنْٹِی
(ghanṭī)
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
Vietnamese:
chuông cửa
— device on or adjacent to an outer door for announcing one's presence
