Definition of sing in English:

sing

See synonyms for sing

Translate sing into Spanish

verbpast tense sang/saNG/ /sæŋ/ , past participle sung/səNG/ /səŋ/

1no object Make musical sounds with the voice, especially words with a set tune.
‘Bella sang to the baby’
- ‘And those closing strains die away, and the finale begins, a faint chorus of distant voices singing in unison, the orchestra silent.’
- ‘This opens strikingly with the high voices singing unaccompanied in unison.’
- ‘Make a tape of your own voice talking or singing to the baby.’
- ‘The Dresden State Orchestra turns in their usual fine playing here and the Saxon State Opera Chorus sings splendidly, as well.’
- ‘I sang in tune but couldn't harmonize with the players, couldn't memorize the lyrics and I had no rhythm.’
- ‘A few can sing in tune before the age of two, while some studies suggest that children may able to respond to music even before they are born.’
- ‘Both groups sang very much in tune, but unlike, say, certain more modern groups, intonation never excited you by itself.’
- ‘He didn't pay much attention to anything but the rainy road until he heard a soft voice singing with the chorus.’
- ‘In contrast, the countertenors of the past sang in full voice, resorting to falsetto only at the high range.’
- ‘Forty male voices sang in spell-binding chorus, softening at moments and then rising, fortified, to a crescendo.’
- ‘Bickley's slightly edgy tone, combined with a warm voice, works well in this music; she sings with a good line and a nice feel for Handel's style.’
- ‘Even if other voices joined the bass in some or all of the verses, a low adult male voice certainly sang throughout, as if to underscore the psalm's sombre mood.’
- ‘She always turned up on time and sang with full voice - but only in Italian, regarding other languages as unmusical.’
- ‘In parallel to her opera career, she also sang for Handel in the oratorio seasons.’
- ‘Listen to how slowly, how deliberately John McCormack sang, caressing each word.’
- ‘At some time in their lives, they've played the piano, flute, clarinet, violin and cello and sung in choirs.’
- ‘Deborah sings almost everything between Mozart and Maxwell Davies, and has a lovely voice!’
- ‘Every time this folk singer sings in her guttural voice, she draws a motley audience around her courtyard.’
- ‘Their range and tessitura increases and, with training, children are singing well over an octave in tune and in time by the end of first grade.’
- ‘She played it to the hilt as an over-inebriated soprano trying to sing in an operetta.’
chant, intone, croon, carol, chorus, warble, trill, pipe, quaver
View synonyms
1. 1.1with object Perform (a song, words, or tune) with the voice.
  ‘someone started singing “God Bless America”’
  ‘To add to the atmosphere, members of Newport Choir and friends sang carols and Christmas songs under the Christmas Tree.’
  ‘After a couple of songs the members sang ditties from the latest movies.’
  ‘They revived the handbell choir, answering God's invitation to sing a new song.’
  ‘Many of the performers sang labor songs of the 1930s, civil rights songs of the 1960s, peace songs of many decades.’
  ‘It became the song sung by Stephen repeating God's proclamation that redemption is found in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.’
  ‘The psalmist sings this song of God's love and faithfulness to the great congregation.’
  ‘We enjoyed each other's company and sang songs to God.’
  ‘And they sang hymns and patriotic songs and show tunes and everything.’
  ‘We were singing songs from a musical called Phantom of the Opera.’
  ‘I love being able to sing carols and Christmas songs.’
  ‘Pupils at Ruskin Junior School sang carols and songs.’
  ‘As scary as it is for me I love it because I can look out and see everybody singing the song word for word.’
  ‘She could hear lots of laughter, endless and melodious, mingling with sweet beautiful music and songs sung by heavenly voices.’
  ‘He sang folk songs and show tunes like Maria, a big favourite in the Soviet Union.’
  ‘After a dramatic recitative which Genaux sings with some interesting vocal color, the aria is as light and as refreshing as a cool breeze.’
  ‘The prize item was Debussy's Proses Lyriques, four songs set to the composer's own poetry and for some reason not often sung in recital.’
  ‘Also on Saturday the Calne Choral Society will be singing Haydn's Nelson Mass at John Bentley School at 7.30 pm.’
  ‘Withers has a beautiful tone but she hides behind this, allowing it to speak over the words she is singing.’
  ‘These students, especially, should be encouraged to sing aloud the words of the pieces in their method books simultaneously with their playing.’
  ‘As I write this, forty years later, I've signed up to sing that very chorus with my local symphony this year.’
  chant, intone, croon, carol, chorus, warble, trill, pipe, quaver
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2. 1.2sing alongSing in accompaniment to a song or piece of music.
  ‘we sing along to all the songs’
  ‘Usually when I feel depressed, I just listen to music and sing along to the songs.’
  ‘The audience joined in the banter and sang along to musical hall songs.’
  ‘My feel my eyes widen when she sings along to the music in perfect pitch.’
  ‘From what he could hear, there was now an extra voice singing along with the music.’
  ‘I shook my head in tune with the music, singing along with it at the top of my lungs.’
  ‘All that's missing are the lyrics, but true fans of the music can sing along instead.’
  ‘Because when people used to singing in harmonies start to sing along, they sing along in harmony.’
  ‘Eccentric behavior in unlikely settings: in Ghost Dog, for example, a Mafia boss admires rap music and sings along with it.’
  ‘Tommy sings along to the music, reaching a gold framed mirror above the fireplace on the last beat.’
  ‘He kept the door open, and was outside in the hall singing along with the music.’
  ‘You do not need a music background for singing along with video karaoke.’
  ‘The stage was closer than she had expected and everyone was singing along with the music.’
  ‘She could hear Chloe singing along to the music, and she wondered if she had woken up in a dream.’
  ‘She was singing along to some Celtic music belting out from her stereo.’
  ‘I was too busy singing along quietly to the music which was swelling up from a speaker at the front of the bus.’
  ‘Stan began to sing along with the music, but fell short of knowing more than a few lines of each song.’
  ‘She couldn't make herself sing along with the music that was playing through the receiver.’
  ‘People like to sing along with music discs, or at least they like to know all the words.’
  ‘I stomped around and laughed while she wiggled, pranced and sang along to the music like all the other teenagers.’
  ‘Eventually, everyone sang along with the flowing melody while moving about the room in syncopation.’
3. 1.3sing something outCall something out loudly; shout.
  ‘he sang out a greeting’
  ‘Is there anything more serious than joy, the dangerous freedom of singing it out?’
  ‘As they neared the quay, youthful voices sang out a greeting.’
  call out, call, cry, cry out, shout, yell, trumpet, bellow, roar
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4. 1.4(of a bird) make characteristic melodious whistling and twittering sounds.
  ‘the birds were singing in the chestnut trees’
  ‘Like most birds, zebra finches sing as the sun rises.’
  ‘Tall, thick-branched trees surrounded her and there was nothing but the sounds of the birds singing amidst the trees.’
  ‘There are no bombs in this world; the sounds are just of tree growing and birds singing.’
  ‘Another morning, bright and clear in every direction, birds chirped and sung in the trees, but none flew this day.’
  ‘The bird began to sing still more melodically, and then fluttered its wings and flew from its branch, hovering just out of Bogo's reach.’
  ‘The sounds of morning birds singing and chirping cheerfully could be heard all around.’
  ‘The first time I've seen you know I've heard some birds singing in the trees.’
  ‘He had opened the hotel window and a nice breeze was coming off the ocean, the sun was shining and the birds were singing in the trees.’
  ‘However he did get his wish as now he rests under the tall trees where the birds sing in Tourlestrane churchyard.’
  ‘The birds were singing and animals were chattering all over the forest.’
  ‘Do birds really sing or do they just open their mouths when the sound comes out?’
  ‘In summer, the area seems full of energy, with birds singing, flowers blooming and trees reflected in the beautiful water of the lake.’
  ‘The sun was shining, birds were singing and the aromatic scent of flowers and trees hung in the air.’
  ‘Taking a walk in the woods while the birds chirp and sing, lounging on the beach listening to the waves roll in and out along the shore… I could go on and on.’
  ‘The wind stopped whistling through the trees, the birds stopped singing, and time seemed to just stand still.’
  ‘Birds were singing, insects were chirping, and people could be heard talking in their homes.’
  ‘The birds in the trees sang happily to her as she walked along, praising God with as much vigor and thankfulness as they could muster.’
  ‘The quiet settled in like a warm blanket, no birds sang, no crickets chirped.’
  ‘The birds were chirping and singing gaily as they came in.’
  ‘Big-city noise levels prompt birds to sing louder in order to be heard by other birds over the din, according to research by German ornithologists.’
  warble, trill, twitter, chirp, chirrup, cheep, peep
  View synonyms
2no object Make a high-pitched whistling or buzzing sound.
‘the kettle was beginning to sing’
- ‘Through the enveloping silence came the sound of the wind singing through the passes.’
- ‘Dad tunes the Kingswood once a month like a classical musician would tune his violin, and the engine sings.’
1. 2.1(of a person's ear) be affected with a continuous buzzing sound, especially as the aftereffect of a blow or loud noise.
  ‘a stinging slap that made my ear sing’
  ‘I turned the engine off again and, while my ears sang, I decided that it was perhaps advisable to fit the exhausts after all.’
  hum, drone, bumble, whir, fizz, fuzz, hiss, sing, murmur, whisper
  View synonyms
3 informal no object Act as an informer to the police.
- ‘as soon as he got put under pressure, he sang like a canary’
- ‘And she is singing like a canary about the out-of-sync lip synch incident.’
inform, inform on someone, tell tales, tell tales on someone
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4with object Recount or celebrate in a work of literature, especially poetry.
‘poetry should sing the strangeness and variety of the human race’
- ‘these poets sing of the North American experience’
- ‘I have sung of women in three cities, they are all the same.’
- ‘Think of all the things Sinatra ever sang of.’
praise, laud, extol, glorify, eulogize, reverence, honour, pay tribute to, pay homage to, salute, hymn, sing
View synonyms
1. 4.1 archaic Compose poetry.
  ‘he knew Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme’
  ‘He knew Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme.’

Pronunciation

sing

/siNG/ /sɪŋ/

noun

in singular

1 informal An act or spell of singing.
- ‘we asked him to come back and have a bit of a sing’
- ‘a sponsored sing to pay for the theater’
- ‘Film sings have supplanted folk music in the lives of common people.’
- ‘Everyone likes to have a sing - joining a choir of 30+ members is just the next step.’
1. 1.1US A meeting for amateur singing.
  ‘It was toward the end of that job, about fifteen years after leaving the army, that Allie went to a sing at a nearby reservation.’

Pronunciation

sing

/siNG/ /sɪŋ/

Phrases

sing a different tune

Change one's opinion about or attitude toward someone or something.
‘ask her again ten years from now and I'm sure she'll be singing a different tune’
- ‘As one who's been at the battlefront, angrily detailing Hollywood's outrages against women for these many years, it's a relief to be singing a different tune and hoping the music lasts.’
- ‘But these days, the businessman mayor is singing a different tune.’
- ‘And he is already singing a different tune on key environmental, defence and foreign affairs issues he once passionately advocated.’
- ‘Less than two years ago he was singing a different tune.’
- ‘With his sights on the top job as prime minister, he's singing a different tune.’
- ‘But we expect he'll be singing a different tune if they take him at his word.’
- ‘‘Just wait until you and Tyler are married,’ replied John, ‘then you'll sing a different tune.’’
- ‘Now when they go back into their communities they will sing a different tune.’
- ‘On Friday, workers sang a different tune from the previous sounds of confrontation.’
- ‘But, you really do not want to mess around with this one, because they all sing a different tune a few minutes later.’

sing someone to sleep

Cause someone to fall asleep by singing gently to them.
‘I'd fallen asleep next my son, as I often sing him to sleep.’
- ‘While in the hospital she visited and spent time with people on the wards, if she heard anyone crying at might she would go to them and sing them to sleep… she had the most wonderful voice.’
- ‘I sing him to sleep most nights, old habit since he was little and I see no reason to change it.’
- ‘Ruby played her eldest daughter records by Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington and would teach her the lyrics and sing her to sleep with their songs at night.’
- ‘She is filled with premarital fears, and her mother takes charge and as she comforts and encourages her daughter, sings her to sleep whilst Alice is cuddling her childhood toy, a rabbit.’
- ‘And the stupid thing about it all, is that I keep remembering this one good memory of him singing me to sleep!’
- ‘I could imagine his soothing voice singing me to sleep.’
- ‘But Terry does remember his grandfather singing him to sleep as a baby-but it's very vague.’
- ‘I think you would have liked to have a mama sing you to sleep.’
- ‘Like a whisper of a dream, she could still recall the sound of her mother's voice as she would sing them to sleep.’