noun

• A sound indicating that a phone line is engaged.

  North American term busy signal

  ‘Well, since last Thursday we have been trying to call the phone number repeatedly, but all we've been getting is a permanently engaged tone, or a ringing tone followed by a dead tone.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Whatever time of day I try and call their helpline I get the engaged tone.’
  • ‘He hung up, and the engaged signal sounded in my ear.’
  • ‘And if the lines get too busy, callers will simply get the engaged tone, the spokesman said.’
  • ‘I tried dialling the landline from my mobile - and got an engaged tone.’
  • ‘It is frustrating for patients when they pick up a phone and hear an engaged tone or when they have to wait in a queue.’
  • ‘Either the phone gave an engaged signal or, if it rang, it rang out of time without being answered.’
  • ‘Many more consumers repeatedly tried the line only to be met with a continual engaged signal.’
  • ‘One of the biggest problems we had with our old system was people would constantly get the engaged tone and have to ring back.’
  • ‘When they called the number, they heard nothing but an engaged tone.’