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clackety

clackety

7.4
Making quick, sharp clicking sounds like old train wheels
  • adjective
  • /ˈklækəti/
translation icon : clic-clac
  • The clackety sound of the typewriter filled the room as she worked on her novel.

Examples

  • He walked down the hall, wearing clackety shoes that echoed with every step.

  • The kids played with their clackety toys, enjoying the noise they made while bouncing around.

  • * It's just squiggly little black blobs, not even permanent, and some clackety thing; it's obviously not "real"... it's "just on the internet."

    Blog text (28)

Synonyms

rattling
vsclackety
46 4.0

A series of short, sharp noises like something loose hitting

is narrower, focusing on quick small distinct strikes rather than general loud noise
crackly
vsclackety
1 3.9

Making small sharp sounds like dry things breaking or moving

is more continuous and rhythmic rather than isolated dry pops
clattery
vsclackety
1 7.0

A continuous rattling sound that hard things make when they hit each other

is shorter and sharper, not continuous heavy striking sounds
clickety
vsclackety
7.5

Making many quick clicking sounds

is broader, covering both quick sharp sounds and loose shaking noise
chattery
vsclackety
7.5

Short high sounds that repeat, like quick clicks or bird calls

is lower in pitch and more about sharp small strikes than high tones
rattly
vsclackety
3.5

A short repeated noise when small parts move, for example in old cars

is about quick small sharp series rather than vibration from loose parts
clankety
vsclackety
8.7

It makes a series of loud metal clanking noises

is lighter and higher pitched rather than heavy metallic banging sounds

Antonyms

1.0

Not making much noise

How Noisy

deafening
9 3.5
clatter
36 4.0
clackety
7.4
clickety
7.5
quiet
45 1.0

Surface Forms

clackety positive

Morphology

clackety = clack (transparent) = clack + ety

Formed from the onomatopoeic base 'clack' plus the expressive suffix '-ety' to indicate making repeated clacking sounds; a learner who knows 'clack' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Clackety comes from the small sound word clack, which copies the quick, sharp 'clack' noise you hear from train wheels or fast typing, and the ending -ety makes it an adjective. So, clackety means making a series of quick, sharp clicking or rattling sounds.