vocalize

verb

vo·​cal·​ize ˈvō-kə-ˌlīz 

vocalized; vocalizing

transitive verb

1

: to give voice to : utter

specifically : sing

2

a

: to make voiced rather than voiceless : voice

b

: to convert to a vowel

3

: to furnish (something, such as a consonantal Hebrew or Arabic text) with vowels or vowel points

intransitive verb

1

: to utter vocal sounds

2

: sing

specifically : to sing without words

vocalization

ˌvō-kə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

vocalizer

ˈvō-kə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

Synonyms

• articulate
• bring out
• enunciate
• pass
• say
• speak
• state
• talk
• tell
• utter
• verbalize

Examples of vocalize in a Sentence

The male bird vocalizes to attract a mate.

she's not one to vocalize her worries

Recent Examples on the Web

For starters, Delle has been vocalizing three unique signature whistles, which is weird. —New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2024

In the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, many celebrities proudly vocalized their opinions on President-elect Donald Trump. —Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 7 Nov. 2024

Although some Republican senators spoke out, few truly vocalized their opposition to Trump or scrutinized his actions. —Li Zhou, Vox, 6 Nov. 2024

Data collected from 1,246 respondents, mainly from the United States, revealed that most dogs (86 percent) watched video content, often showing excitement by approaching the screen (78 percent) or vocalizing (76 percent). —David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

vocalize

verb

vo·​cal·​ize ˈvō-kə-ˌlīz 

vocalized; vocalizing

: to give voice to

especially : sing entry 1 sense 1a

vocalizer

ˈvō-kə-ˌlī-zər 

noun