CROAK

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does croak mean? 

• CROAK (noun)
  The noun CROAK has 1 sense:

1. a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)

  Familiarity information: CROAK used as a noun is very rare.

• CROAK (verb)
  The verb CROAK has 3 senses:

1. pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

2. utter a hoarse sound, like a raven

3. make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath

  Familiarity information: CROAK used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CROAK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

croak; croaking

Hypernyms ("croak" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Derivation:

croak (utter a hoarse sound, like a raven)

croaky (like the sounds of frogs and crows)

• CROAK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they croak    ... he / she / it croaks   
Past simple: croaked   
Past participle: croaked   
-ing form: croaking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

buy the farm; cash in one's chips; choke; conk; croak; decease; die; drop dead; exit; expire; give-up the ghost; go; kick the bucket; pass; pass away; perish; pop off; snuff it

Context example:

The old guy kicked the bucket at the age of 102

Hypernyms (to "croak" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Verb group:

break; break down; conk out; die; fail; give out; give way; go; go bad (stop operating or functioning)

die (suffer or face the pain of death)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "croak"):

abort (cease development, die, and be aborted)

asphyxiate; stifle; suffocate (be asphyxiated; die from lack of oxygen)

buy it; pip out (be killed or die)

drown (die from being submerged in water, getting water into the lungs, and asphyxiating)

predecease (die before; die earlier than)

famish; starve (die of food deprivation)

fall (die, as in battle or in a hunt)

succumb; yield (be fatally overwhelmed)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter a hoarse sound, like a raven

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

croak; cronk

Hypernyms (to "croak" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

croak (a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog))

croaker (any of several fishes that make a croaking noise)

croaking (a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make complaining remarks or noises under one's breath

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

croak; gnarl; grumble; murmur; mutter

Context example:

she grumbles when she feels overworked

Hypernyms (to "croak" is one way to...):

complain; kick; kvetch; plain; quetch; sound off (express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

 Context examples 

Then the peasant once more pinched the raven’s head till he croaked loudly.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

“You’re surprised to see me, sir,” said he, in a strange, croaking voice.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He laughed so the while, like a great croaking frog, that I might have caught him had my breath not been as short as his legs were long.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“It’s for your own sake, Watson,” he croaked.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But there was no unusual sound—nothing but the low wash of the ripple and the croaking of the inmates of the wood.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

His mirth was hoarse and ghastly, like a raven's croak, and the sick wolf joined him, howling lugubriously.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“The paper!” croaked a voice behind us.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Laurie opened the window, and croaked out as hoarsely as a raven...

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Then from out of the silence, imminent and threatening, there came once more that low, throaty croaking, far louder and closer than before.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Who's croaking now?" Bill demanded triumphantly.

(White Fang, by Jack London)