Definition

1. Adverb:

   • With great vigor, energy, or enthusiasm; heartily or earnestly: Used to describe an action performed with intense effort or in a spirited, competitive manner.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To make a ringing sound like that of a bell; to go "ding dong": To produce the characteristic alternating two-tone sound of a bell.

Usage Examples

• Adverb:

  • The two teams fought dingdong for the championship title. (The two teams competed with intense effort and energy for the championship title.)
  • They argued dingdong for hours without reaching an agreement. (They argued earnestly and vigorously for hours.)

• Verb:

  • The old church bell dingdonged every hour. (The old church bell rang with a "ding dong" sound every hour.)
  • I could hear the doorbell dingdong from the kitchen. (I could hear the doorbell making its ringing sound from the kitchen.)

Advanced Usage

• Used as an onomatopoeic noun (informal): Refers to the sound itself or a trivial, repetitive argument.
  • The constant dingdong of the bell was annoying. (The repetitive ringing sound of the bell was annoying.)
  • Their discussion was just a silly dingdong about nothing important. (Their discussion was a trivial back-and-forth argument.)

Variants and Related Words

• Ding-dong (noun): The sound of a bell; (informal, chiefly British) a foolish or eccentric person.
  • The ding-dong of the ice cream truck.
• Ding (verb/noun): To make a single metallic ringing sound; a small dent or damage.
• Dong (verb/noun): To ring with a deep sound; the deep ringing sound of a large bell.

Synonyms

• Adverb: Vigorously, earnestly, strenuously, heatedly.
• Verb: Ring, chime, peal, toll.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• A ding-dong battle/fight: A very intense and evenly matched contest or argument.
  • The election turned into a real ding-dong battle. (The election became a very intense and close contest.)
• To dingdong (something) into someone's head: To teach or impress something upon someone through constant repetition (informal, figurative use).
  • He had to dingdong the safety rules into the new employees. (He had to repeatedly emphasize the safety rules to the new employees.)

Adverb

1. heartily or earnestly
   • They fell to work dingdong

Verb

1. go `ding dong', like a bell