dinged; dinging; dings
: to dwell on with tiresome repetition
keeps dinging it into him that the less he smokes the better—
Samuel Butler †1902
Samuel Butler †1902
: an instance of minor surface damage (such as a dent)
dinged; dinging; dings
1
informal
a
: to strike or knock against
got dinged on the elbow
b
: to cause minor surface damage to
ding a car door
c
: to do harm to
… has struggled of late to win customers back after reports of a norovirus outbreak … circulated in July, once again dinging the chain's reputation.—Sarah Whitten
Sarah WhittenIf they don't hit the mark, their review, pay, and chances at promotion get dinged.—Nanette Byrnes et al.
Nanette Byrnes et al.
d
: to cause a usually minor injury to
On Jan. 20, Joel Embiid dinged his knee in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The ever-cautious Sixers held the big man out of the next two games with what was described as a "left knee contusion."
2
informal
: to penalize or criticize
Joseph's time hasn't been without some controversy, including recently when the state dinged the district for starting the year with several administrators not holding Tennessee teaching and administrative licenses.—Jason Gonzales
Jason GonzalesHistorical accounts dinged the Cadburys for not doing enough to help with cocoa worker conditions and slavery in Africa.—Michael S. Rosenwald
Michael S. RosenwaldExamples of ding in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
The timer also dings loudly, which some users may find irritating.
—Caroline Thomason, Health, 9 Mar. 2023
Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025
Just the same damn jingles and dings as Bally’s though.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ding
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show current usage.
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Verb
Splitting carries with Kareem Hunt dings Pacheco’s fantasy value.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025
The timer also dings loudly, which some users may find irritating.
—Caroline Thomason, Health, 9 Mar. 2023
Noun
This gives cooks more color options and protects the pot from nicks and dings.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2025
Just the same damn jingles and dings as Bally’s though.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ding
Cite this Entry
“Ding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ding. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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