croaking
Definition
- Noun:
- A harsh, hoarse, guttural sound: The act or instance of making a deep, rough, often grating vocal noise, typically associated with frogs or certain birds, but also used to describe a similar sound made by a person, especially when speaking with a strained or weak voice.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The constant croaking of the frogs kept us awake all night.
- His voice was reduced to a mere croaking after the long lecture.
- We heard the distinctive croaking of a raven from the old tree.
Advanced Usage
"The croaking of the raven": Often used in literature to evoke an ominous or foreboding atmosphere.
- The only sound in the desolate moor was the croaking of a solitary raven.
"A chorus of croaking": Used to describe the collective sound of many frogs or toads.
- A loud chorus of croaking emerged from the pond at dusk.
Variants and Related Words
Croak (verb): To make a deep, harsh sound like that of a frog or a raven; also a slang term meaning to die.
- The ravens would croak from the tower.
- (Slang) He's so old, I thought he'd croak years ago.
Croaky (adjective): Describing a voice that is deep, rough, and hoarse.
- She answered the phone with a croaky voice because she had a sore throat.
Synonyms
- Guttural sound: A sound produced in the throat.
- Hoarse utterance: A rough, harsh vocal sound.
- Caw: The harsh cry of a crow or raven (a specific type of croaking sound).
Related Phrases
- To have a frog in one's throat: An idiom meaning to have a hoarse or croaky voice, often temporarily.
- Excuse my croaking; I think I have a frog in my throat.
Notes on Meaning
The noun "croaking" specifically refers to the sound itself. It is most literally applied to animals like frogs and ravens. When applied to a human voice, it implies an unnatural, strained, or unhealthy hoarseness, often due to illness, overuse, or extreme emotion. It is distinct from a simply deep or raspy voice, carrying connotations of roughness and difficulty.
Noun
-
a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)
