beep

1 of 2

verb

ˈbēp 

beeped; beeping; beeps

transitive verb

1

: to cause to sound

beep a horn

2

: to send a message to (someone) with a beeper

Dr. Khoury was beeped to perform an emergency operation at American University Hospital.

—Scot Macleod

intransitive verb

1

: to sound a horn

2

: to make a beep

beep

2 of 2

noun

: a short usually high-pitched sound (as from a horn or an electronic device) that serves as a signal or warning

Examples of beep in a Sentence

Verb

Why did you beep your horn at her?

She beeped at me first.

Something is beeping in the kitchen.

I could hear a beeping noise.

Noun

the beep of a car horn

Please leave a message after the beep.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Records showed that deputies and medical staff failed to provide Bach insulin, even though the alarm on his insulin pump had been beeping for at least 19 hours. —Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025

In the American version of Traitors in the U.K., every other thing is beeped out. —EW.com, 7 Mar. 2025

Noun

Whenever a beep sounded, the actors stood up momentarily before sitting down again. —Naira Velumyan, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

The space is bright and clean with gray and red paint stripes on the white walls with the loud sounds of beeps and metal grinding. —Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

from beep-beep, imitative of the sound of a horn, or verbal derivative of beep entry 2

Noun

earlier beep-beep, imitative of the sound of a horn

First Known Use

Verb

1933, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1943, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for beep

• cheap
• creep
• deep
• heap
• jeep
• keep
• leap
• peep
• reap
• seep
• sheep
• sleep

Kids Definition

beep

noun

ˈbēp

: a sound that signals or warns

beep verb