adj · 2 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
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/ʌltɹəˈsɒnɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɒnɪk
CMU ARPABET:AH2 L T R AH0 S AA1 N IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear; with a frequency of 20 kilohertz or higher.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: acoustics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adjective satellite
Meaning 2
having frequencies above those of audible sound
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: supersonic
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2el- Latin ūls Proto-Indo-European *-teros? Latin -ter Old Latin -ād Latin -ā Latin ultrābor. English ultra- Proto-Indo-European *swenh2- Proto-Indo-European *swónh2os Latin sonus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English sonic English ultrasonic From ultra- + sonic.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
ультрагукавы́
(ulʹtrahukavý)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Bulgarian:
ултразву́ков
(ultrazvúkov)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Catalan:
ultrasónico
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Chinese Mandarin:
超聲 /超声
(chāoshēng)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Czech:
ultrazvukový
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
French:
ultrasonique
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
French:
ultrasonore
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
French:
ultra-sonore
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Georgian:
ზებგერითი
(zebgeriti)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Georgian:
ულტრახმოვანი
(ulṭraxmovani)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Georgian:
ულტრაბგერითი
(ulṭrabgeriti)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
German:
Ultraschall-
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Greek:
υπερηχητικός
(yperichitikós)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Hungarian:
ultraszonikus
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Indonesian:
ultrasonik
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Irish:
ultrasonach
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Italian:
ultrasonoro
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Italian:
ultrasonico
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Japanese:
超音
(chōon)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Kazakh:
ультрадыбысты
(ultradybysty)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Polish:
ultradźwiękowy
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Portuguese:
ultrassônico
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Portuguese:
ultrassónico
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Romanian:
supersonic
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Russian:
ультразвуково́й
(ulʹtrazvukovój)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Slovak:
ultrazvukový
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Spanish:
ultrasónico
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Tagalog:
lakdawnugin
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
Ukrainian:
ультразвукови́й
(ulʹtrazvukovýj)
— beyond (higher in frequency than) the range of sound perceptible to the human ear
