Word.ws English Dictionary

knock-knock

knock-knock interjection: a verbal emulation of a knocking sound.

Interjection

(colloquial)

  1. (colloquial) A verbal emulation of a knocking sound.
  2. (colloquial) A phrase used in lieu of knocking on a door.
  3. (colloquial) Used to introduce a knock-knock joke.
    • Knock-knock. / Who's there? / Wendy. / Wendy who? / Wendy you want to open the door?

Verb

knock-knock (third-person singular simple present knock-knocks, present participle knock-knocking, simple past and past participle knock-knocked)

  1. (ambitransitive, colloquial) To make such a sound, as by knocking on (something).
    • Formally, the poll tax will die today, but it will carry on knock-knocking from the grave.1993 March 31, Jack Straw, “Poll tax dies but haunts democracy: The damage to councils will be difficult to repair, argues Jack Straw”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN...
    • The reporter also knock-knocked his house.2013 October 27, David Carr, “Gawker Kicks Open the Closet, but Its Disclosure Barely Reverberates”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the...

Noun

knock-knock (plural knock-knocks)

  1. (colloquial) Such a sound.
    • For the Philharmonic and its subscribers, the essential thing was to get the acoustics right, which is a task of near impossible complexity. What kind of space can do justice, say, to the plunks and skittering knock-knocks in Lou Harrison’s Concerto in Slendro and also to the sustained, exalted...2003 October 27, Richard Lacayo, “Architecture: The Art of Wrap”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Jan 2026
    • There are few solid leads, but the possibility of "the wood," a front-page tabloid story, drives him as he makes seemingly fruitless knock-knocks in the neighborhood. "We don't have an address, we don't know if it's racial," he explains to the camera.2006 August 14, David Carr, “Reporters on Film: Drunks and Tarts”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 Jan 2026
  2. (colloquial) Synonym of knock-knock joke.
    • In the spirit of Tom Swifties and knock-knocks, John W. Little 2d has invented a word game called the Bridge of Sys.1983 August 3, Georgia Dullea, “METROPOLITAN DIARY”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 24 May 2015
    • (see title)1993, Leonard Kessler, Old Turtle's 90 Knock-Knocks, Jokes, and Riddles

knock-knock meaning in Tagalog, Indonesian and Vietnamese

knock-knock in Tagalog

verbal knocking sound
tok-tok

knock-knock in Indonesian

verbal knocking sound
woi woi

knock-knock in Vietnamese

verbal knocking sound
gõ gõ

Examples of knock-knock in a sentence

  • A golden-backed woodpecker knock-knocked on a tree while whistling ducks flew overhead; there were few other people.2019 September 8, Sarah Baxter, “Sun, squats and 'suicide sprints' – is this punishing Sri Lankan retreat worth the sweat?”, in Chris...
  • We used a special clicking noise — like a knock-knocking sound.2021 February 14, Sam Baker, quoting Christopher Skaife, “Charity that runs Tower of London spent £350K over last five years caring for its...
  • What kind of space can do justice, say, to the plunks and skittering knock-knocks in Lou Harrison’s Concerto in Slendro and also to the sustained, exalted moan of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony?2003 October 27, Richard Lacayo, “Architecture: The Art of Wrap”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the...
  • The jewelry thing is just the first time you’ve noticed the knock-knock of the bigger issues at your door.2023 April 28, Carolyn Hax, “Carolyn Hax: Fiance would rather buy experiences than engagement ring”, in The Washington Post, Washington...

Synonyms of knock-knock

Forms of knock-knock

Interjection
alternative formknock knock
Verb
third-person singular presentknock-knocks
present participleknock-knocking
past participleknock-knocked
pastknock-knocked
Noun
pluralknock-knocks

Origin of knock-knock

Onomatopoeic.

Words formed from knock-knock

Phrases with knock-knock

Questions about knock-knock

What does knock-knock mean?
Knock-knock means a verbal emulation of a knocking sound.
What is knock-knock in Tagalog?
Knock-knock in Tagalog is tok-tok. See Knock-knock meaning in Tagalog.
How do you use knock-knock in a sentence?
A golden-backed woodpecker knock-knocked on a tree while whistling ducks flew overhead; there were few other people.
What part of speech is knock-knock?
Knock-knock can be an interjection, a verb or a noun.

Words near knock-knock in the dictionary

  1. knock-for-knock agreement
  2. knock-for-knock agreements
  3. knock-knee
  4. knock-kneed
  5. knock-knees
  6. knock-knock
  7. knock-knock burglaries
  8. knock-knock burglary
  9. knock-knock ginger
  10. knock-knock joke
  11. knock-knock jokes

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: knock-knock (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-knock knock.wav.

Cite this entry: “knock-knock.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/knock-knock. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.