noise

Definition

  • noun: a loud or unpleasant sound
  • noun: loud, confused, or senseless shouting or outcry
  • verb: to talk much or loudly
  • usually used with 'about' or 'abroad'

Examples

  • She started 'making noises''about' running for office. [=she started saying things that showed she was thinking about running for office]

  • Politicians are 'making (all) the right noises' about improving the schools, but they don't want to spend any money to do it.

  • Congress has been 'making' (a lot of) 'noise' about lowering taxes, but no one expects it to happen.

Movie quotes

  • (..) Not "just", Clarice. What set you off? - You started at what time? - Early. Still dark. Then something woke you, didn't it? Was it a dream? What was it? I heard a strange noise. What was it? It was screaming. Some kind of screaming. Like a child's voice. What did you do? (..)
    1991 The Silence of the Lambs