twang

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
a
: nasal speech or resonance
b
: the characteristic speech of a region, locality, or group of people
2
: a harsh quick ringing sound like that of a plucked banjo string
3
a
: an act of plucking
b
twangy adjective

twang

2 of 3

verb

twanged; twanging ˈtwaŋ-iŋ How to pronounce twang (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to sound with a twang
the couch twanged when he sat down
2
: to speak or sound with a nasal intonation
3
: to throb or twitch with pain or tension

transitive verb

1
: to cause to sound with a twang
2
: to utter or pronounce with a nasal twang
3
: to pluck the string of
twang a guitar
twanger noun

twang

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a persisting flavor, taste, or odor : tang
2

Examples of twang in a Sentence

Verb The rope twanged when it snapped. He was twanging the strings of the guitar.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The country smash has ruled the ranking since it was released on Super Bowl Sunday, and Americans are clearly not tiring of the twang. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Frey, a third-generation rodeo gal, sings with a powerful dose of charismatic twang. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2024 Over the years, legions of highly skilled engineers and producers labored to find just the right mic to capture the unique twang of a guitar, pioneered the use of slapback delay and spent untold hours patiently splicing 2-inch tape to make sure a drumbeat was perfectly timed. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 McEntire serenaded the crowd with her signature country twang. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Standing in front of the Color Guard, McEntire unleashed her familiar twang, causing some Kansas City Chiefs players including Chris Jones to tear up in the moment. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024 Steeped in the importance of country music’s place in southern culture, and raised by a father who was an aspiring country star himself, Murph can seamlessly blend her love of every genre of music, and her powerhouse voice—with a bit of twang and down-home sound—carries them with ease. Caitlin White, SPIN, 26 Jan. 2024 The team leaned further into the song’s country roots and dialed up the country twang with plucky acoustics, bright vocal riffs and harmonies, and at one point, stepped away from the mic stands for a passionate finish of the track. Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 12 Dec. 2023 Way too much twang for my taste in both the sacred and secular carols. Luis Melgar, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2023
Verb
The practice of rewriting the lyrics and twanging up old rock songs is on the way to becoming a tradition for country music, with more on the way. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2023 Other types of biologically active molecules can also twang the delicate neurons, interfering with thoughts, memories and behaviors. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2023 The realtor had not grown up in the city, and her words twanged with eastern water’s edge. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twang.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

imitative

Noun (2)

alteration of tang

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1553, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of twang was circa 1553

Dictionary Entries Near twang

Cite this Entry

“Twang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twang. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

twang

1 of 2 noun
1
: a harsh quick ringing sound
2
: nasal speech

twang

2 of 2 verb
twanged; twanging ˈtwaŋ-iŋ How to pronounce twang (audio)
1
: to sound or cause to sound with a twang
2
: to speak with a nasal twang

More from Merriam-Webster on twang

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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