Word
clatter
Phoneticsclat·ter, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɫætɝ/
UK/klˈætɐ/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a loud, rattling sound made when hard objects hit each other, like dishes or keys falling. You use it for quick, messy noise, not a single clean ring.
n. a loud, sharp rattling sound produced by hard objects striking one another in rapid succession.
Examples
“I hear the clatter of dishes from the kitchen.”
“The early morning street fills with the clatter of shutters opening as shopkeepers prepare for the day.”
“Amid the quiet library, the sudden clatter of a dropped tray of cutlery shattered the concentration of every reader near the café corner.”
Examples
simple
“I hear the clatter of dishes from the kitchen.”
contextual
“The early morning street fills with the clatter of shutters opening as shopkeepers prepare for the day.”
complex
“Amid the quiet library, the sudden clatter of a dropped tray of cutlery shattered the concentration of every reader near the café corner.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “clatter” in context.
Verb
01. cause clatter
“He dropped the pan and caused an awful clatter.”
verb + noun
02. clatter echoes
“The clatter of dishes echoed through the empty restaurant.”
noun + verb
03. clatter fades
“The clatter faded slowly as the train moved away.”
noun + verb
04. clatter stops
“The clatter stopped suddenly, and the house went quiet.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. distant clatter
“They woke to the distant clatter of pots and pans.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. burst of clatter
“A short burst of clatter came from the workshop.”
noun + prep + noun
07. clatter of dishes
“The clatter of dishes came from the busy kitchen.”
noun + prep + noun
08. clatter of keys
“A clatter of keys told us someone was at the door.”
noun + prep + noun
09. clatter of plates
“There was a clatter of plates as the waiter stumbled.”
noun + prep + noun
10. amid the clatter of dishes
“They talked amid the clatter of dishes in the canteen.”
11. drop with a loud clatter
“She dropped the cutlery with a loud clatter.”
12. drowned out by the clatter
“His voice was drowned out by the clatter of the train.”
Real-World Examples
“The city’s skyline once flickered with blue flames and a warm orange glow emanated from clattering steel mills, but by Molina’s teenage years, Lorain was in a tailspin.” “Renata Czyz, whose flat backs on to Ashbourne Street in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, said she had been unable to sleep or open her windows during the heatwaves due to traffic clattering over a square-shaped manhole.” Etymology
From Middle English clatren (“to make a rattling sound”), from Old English *clatrian (attested as the Late Old English gerund clatrung), of onomatopoeic origin. Compare Dutch klateren, kletteren. The noun, derived from the verb, is first attested in the 14ᵗʰ century.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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