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sound effect

sound effect

27 3.1
A recorded sound added to films or plays to copy real noises
  • noun
  • /saʊnd ɪˈfɛkt/
translation icon : efecto de sonido
  • Keep in mind that podcasts can include many kinds of audio, such as sound effects and music.
  • sound effects and music
  • sound effects and narration
  • sound effects and animation

It's just going to be some faint sound effects of zombies outside.

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Examples

  • Like animations, sound effects in a digital picture book enhance the reading experience.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Welcome to my new sound effects album, The second lamp.

  • Well, as you can tell by the sound effects, it is that time.

  • Oh yeah, I hear, I hear the sound effect in my head.

  • It's just a sound effect.

  • A story like that needs sound effects.

  • Now, let's watch that with sound effects.

  • Audio elements within the Online Tour videos include music clips, sound effects, and voice narration.

    Academic text (2014)
  • I love the juxtaposition between these over the top action movie sound effects and his squeaky little voice.

  • The film's suspenseful atmosphere was enhanced by the sound effects, which made every scary moment more thrilling.

Synonyms

foley sound
vssound effect
  • Specialized
7.2

Recorded noise made to match actions seen on screen

is a general artificially made noise used to imitate sounds and set atmosphere

How Realistic

Foley
  • Specialized
7.6
sound effect
27 3.1

Surface Forms

sound effect singular
sound effects plural

Morphology

sound + effect

The meaning 'an artificially produced or notable auditory effect' is directly derivable from combining 'sound' (a noise) with 'effect' (an intended impression), following a transparent noun+noun compounding pattern. This is a common, cross-linguistically shared concept (e.g. Spanish 'efecto de sonido', French 'effet sonore'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely understand the MWE.

Etymology

Sound effect began in early theatre and radio, when people offstage used simple objects to copy real noises. The created sound was the 'effect' for the audience, so today sound effect means an artificial sound used in plays, films, or recordings.