bloop: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1 (Low-frequency; mostly specific or informal contexts)Informal, onomatopoeic, technical (in specific fields).
Quick answer
What does “bloop” mean?
A low, hollow, bubbling or gurgling sound, often of a liquid or something soft.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A low, hollow, bubbling or gurgling sound, often of a liquid or something soft.
1. To make such a sound. 2. In baseball, a weak fly ball that falls just beyond the infield. 3. In broadcasting/media, a mistake, often an accidental sound or profanity, that is removed from the final product (e.g., 'blooper'). 4. In science/sfx, a term for a short, low-frequency underwater sound.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The baseball sense ('bloop single') is almost exclusively American. The broadcasting/media sense ('blooper reel') is understood in both, but possibly more common in US media terminology.
Connotations
Similar in both varieties for the core onomatopoeic sense: informal, sometimes humorous or childlike.
Frequency
Overall very low frequency in both. Slightly higher in American English due to baseball usage.
Grammar
How to Use “bloop” in a Sentence
[Subject] bloops (intransitive)[Subject] blooped a single (transitive, baseball)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bloop” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The bath tap blooped as the last of the water drained away.
- The editor had to bloop out the presenter's accidental swear word.
American English
- The hitter blooped a single into shallow right field.
- My stomach blooped nervously before the interview.
adverb
British English
- (Extremely rare) The cork went 'bloop' and disappeared underwater.
American English
- (Extremely rare) The ball landed bloop just past the shortstop.
adjective
British English
- (Rare as adjective; 'bloopy' is more common) The synth had a weird, bloopy sound.
American English
- (Rare as adjective) He's known for his bloop hits rather than home runs.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Rare; potentially in linguistics (phonetics/onomatopoeia) or marine biology (describing sounds).
Everyday
Informal, often humorous or descriptive, especially with children or for describing sounds.
Technical
In baseball commentary, audio engineering (for error tapes), and marine acoustics.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bloop”
- Using it as a formal synonym for 'bubble' or 'error'.
- Overusing it outside its specific, informal contexts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a real word classified as onomatopoeia. It is entered in major dictionaries due to its established use, particularly in informal language and specific fields like baseball.
'Bloop' is primarily the sound or the action (verb). 'Blooper' is a noun derived from it, almost exclusively meaning a mistake or embarrassing error, especially in broadcasting or sports.
Almost never. It is highly informal, onomatopoeic, or confined to specific jargons (e.g., sports reporting). In formal prose, use more standard terms like 'bubbling sound', 'soft gurgle', or 'minor error'.
No, the standard IPA transcription /bluːp/ is the same for both. The vowel is a long 'oo' as in 'blue'.
A low, hollow, bubbling or gurgling sound, often of a liquid or something soft.
Bloop: in British English it is pronounced /bluːp/, and in American English it is pronounced /bluːp/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “blooper reel (a compilation of mistakes)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a cartoon fish going 'BLOOP' as it blows a bubble in the water. The word sounds like the thing it describes.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOUND IS AN OBJECT (It *made* a bloop); MISTAKES ARE PHYSICAL OBJECTS TO BE REMOVED (They *cut* the bloop from the tape).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'bloop' used as a specific technical term?