sonic

adjective

son·​ic ˈsä-nik 

1

: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves

sonic altimeter

broadly : of or involving sound

sonic pollution

2

: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear

—used of waves and vibrations

3

: of, relating to, or being the speed of sound in air or about 761 miles per hour (1224 kilometers per hour) at sea level at 59°F (15°C)

sonically

ˈsä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

A sonic boom is an explosive sound created by a shock wave formed at the nose of an aircraft. In 1947 a plane piloted by Chuck Yeager burst the "sound barrier" and created the first sonic boom. In the decades afterward sonic booms became a familiar sound to Americans. (Because of steps that were eventually taken, sonic booms are rarely heard anymore.) Today sonic is often used by ambitious rock musicians to describe their experimental sounds.

Examples of sonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

FiiO claims the result is a sonic presentation that combines technical accuracy with a sense of warmth and a natural flow that’s good for analytical listening as well as long musical sessions. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

If approved, the permits would allow the company to analyze the subsurface with sonic waves and drilling. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025

Even so, the original score by Mary Komasa and Antoni Komasa Lazarkiewicz, supplemented by sadcore indie tracks by Trupa Trupa, is a presence throughout, acting like a sonic glue that holds the chronologically disparate sequences of the film together while adding a distinct modernity to the tone. —Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025

Viewers can sit in front of the lower mirrors to hear one side or wander through the room and listen as the two voices mix, forming a kind of sonic architecture. —Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sonic

• sonic barrier
• sonic boom

Rhymes for sonic

• chronic
• clonic
• conic
• phonic
• tonic
• anharmonic
• anionic
• avionic
• catatonic
• cationic
• chorionic
• cosmogonic

Kids Definition

sonic

adjective

son·​ic ˈsän-ik 

: using, produced by, or relating to sound waves

Medical Definition

sonic

adjective

son·​ic ˈsän-ik 

1

: having a frequency within the audibility range of the human ear

—used of waves and vibrations

2

: utilizing, produced by, or relating to sound waves

a sonic device used to rupture cell walls

sonically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb