arf
9.7
A short sharp sound like a dog's bark
- other
- /ɑrf/
:
guau
- The little dog ran to the gate and let out a loud arf to greet its owner.
Examples
-
Whenever the mailman approaches, my dog likes to arf excitedly and wag his tail.
-
At the park, the puppy kept barking arf arf to get the children to play with him.
-
M. Woolf: Woolf! (arf arf snarl) Woolf! (aril yowl yargh)
Fiction book (1991) -
M. Woolf: Woolf! (arf arf snarl) Woolf! (aril yowl yargh)
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
bark
vsarf
69
1.0
A sharp loud sound that a dog makes
is shorter and sharper, not mainly about loudness
woof
vsarf
50
1.0
A short sound a dog makes to show it is alert or happy
is the short sharp variant rather than the general sound
ruff
vsarf
10
5.3
A short sharp sound a dog makes when it barks once
is the short sharp style rather than other dog noises
1
6.5
A sound people say to copy a dog's bark
is a brief sharp form rather than a playful imitation
wuff
vsarf
9.7
A soft dog sound like a gentle bark
is a short sharp sound rather than a soft gentle one
How Loud
Surface Forms
arf main
Etymology
Arf comes from people imitating a dog's quick bark, so it is used to show the dog's 'short, sharp bark' in speech or writing, much like woof.