Knocking: meaning, definitions and examples

Appropriate for general, polite knocking sounds, such as trying to get someone's attention at a door.

• She was quietly knocking on the door, hoping someone would hear her.
• I heard knocking in the middle of the night.

Indicates a loud, forceful sound, usually created by hitting something with significant force. It often carries a sense of urgency or frustration.

• There was a loud banging on the wall, and I wondered what was going on next door.
• He started banging on the table to get everyone's attention.

Refers to a quick, light, and repeated tapping sound, often rhythmic. It's commonly used to describe when someone taps lightly on a hard surface.

• He gave a quick rapping on the window to get her attention.
• She heard rapping sounds from across the hall, like someone tapping their fingers on a desk.

Implies a very strong, repeated impact. Often used to describe a heavy, insistent sound on a door or another surface.

• She could hear someone pounding on the door as if they were in a hurry.
• The carpenter was pounding nails into the wood.

This is the most general term for making a noise by hitting a door, usually with your knuckles, to get someone's attention or to gain entry.

• She heard a soft knocking on the front door.
• Can you answer the door? Someone is knocking.

This term implies making a loud, often disruptive or forceful noise. It has a slightly negative connotation and suggests impatience or urgency.

• He started banging on the door after waiting for ten minutes.
• There was a loud banging sound coming from the garage.

This term refers to making a series of quick, sharp knocks, often in a rhythmic pattern. It can be used in more formal or poetic contexts.

• She gave a quick rapping on the old wooden door.
• He heard a light rapping on his office door.

This word indicates a very forceful and often repetitive knocking that suggests seriousness or desperation. It has a somewhat intense connotation.

• She was pounding on the door, yelling for help.
• I woke up to the sound of someone pounding urgently on my window.