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to ping

to ping

7.6
To make a metallic knocking sound in an engine when fuel burns too early
  • verb
  • /pɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : detonar
  • The engine pinged and clicked as it cooled.
  • the engine pinged

Examples

  • If you recall the "blacksmith's hammer" of pre-ignition, it is pinging that likely killed the poor head gasket on the anvil of mountain climbs and sometimes highway paces.

    Blog text (34)
  • As the car drove up the hill, the engine began to ping from the strain of the steep incline.

  • My head was beginning to ping.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Our 767 out of Heathrow just pinged gold, chief.

  • The car ticked and pinged as the engine cooled down.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The engine made a loud ping as it struggled to start in the cold weather.

  • After the mechanic tuned the car, I noticed that the engine stopped pinging during acceleration.

Synonyms

to knock
vsto ping
  • Specialized
16 8.1

To make a sharp metal sound in an engine when the fuel burns too early

is a general term not limited to internal cylinder irregularities
to pink
vsto ping
  • Specialized
9.9

To make a knocking sound in an engine when fuel burns too early

is used for any engine rather than only cars

Antonyms

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

204 1.0

Moving or happening in an even, easy way without sudden problems

Phrasal Verbs

4.1

To make a short message to check if someone is online

Compounds

23 1.1

A game on a table with a net where players hit a small ball with paddles

15 1.6

A game like tennis played on a table using small paddles and a light ball

A small, light, hollow plastic ball used in table tennis

A table for playing table tennis with a net in the middle

aerial ping pong
  • Informal
9.7

A casual game where players hit balloons or flying discs in the air

A river in western Thailand that joins the Chao Phraya River

9.9

A small kitchen machine that heats food quickly

How Severe

to pound
225 1.3
to knock
  • Specialized
16 8.1
to ping
  • Specialized
7.6
tick
34 2.0

Surface Forms

ping infinitive
pinged past
pinged past participle
pinging present participle
pings third person singular

Etymology

Ping for an engine fault is named after the metallic 'ping' sound the engine makes when fuel ignites too soon, so if your car 'pings' you hear that sharp knocking noise.