as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
there's always one ding-dong in the tour group who wanders off and gets lost
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ding-dong
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
That was a fantastically exciting ding-dong 2-2 — with Atletico missing a 99th penalty and eventually being eliminated from the Champions League after the group stage.
—Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Not a very productive interrogation … that is until there’s a ding-dong at the door.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2024
Ditch the classic ding-dong and instead opt for a more holiday-appropriate sound, like a howl, a cackling witch, or other creepy sounds.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024
Up on the quite lush chopping block in season three is, appropriately, sibling No. 3, traveling ding-dong Colin.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 May 2024
The mess-up puts Jamie and Marian in the crosshairs of a local crime organization headed by a soft-spoken brute known only as the Chief (Colman Domingo), who enlists two thuggish ding-dongs to get the suitcase back.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Bomer is good when Jerry the ding-dong must navigate a moment of real sentiment or complication; the juxtaposition is effective.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
That was a fantastically exciting ding-dong 2-2 — with Atletico missing a 99th penalty and eventually being eliminated from the Champions League after the group stage.
—Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
Not a very productive interrogation … that is until there’s a ding-dong at the door.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2024
Ditch the classic ding-dong and instead opt for a more holiday-appropriate sound, like a howl, a cackling witch, or other creepy sounds.
—Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 27 Sep. 2024
Up on the quite lush chopping block in season three is, appropriately, sibling No. 3, traveling ding-dong Colin.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 May 2024
The mess-up puts Jamie and Marian in the crosshairs of a local crime organization headed by a soft-spoken brute known only as the Chief (Colman Domingo), who enlists two thuggish ding-dongs to get the suitcase back.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ding-dong
Noun
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Tobias is Flashlight’s court fool, a source of chaos, comedy, and pathos.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2025
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Camp offered sanctuary, a mode of performance that didn’t suffer hypocritical fools gladly.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Others in Trump's orbit, such as former senior Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who has clashed with Musk in recent months, were less conciliatory.—
Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
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Above, a curious duel unfolded: a seagull clashing mid-air with a hovering drone.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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But Day is three times smarter than anyone else in the picture, thinking one step ahead of Stewart, who spends too much time on a wild goose chase and trying to figure out how to eat an African dinner with one hand.—
Neal Justin,
Boston Herald,
13 June 2025
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The filler is made of 100% exclusive Hutterite, a high-quality goose down, and the shell is made of 100% sateen cotton.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
30 May 2025
Verb
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And that repeating first couplet — which comprises six of the poem’s 18 lines and occupied the first day of this challenge — will surely jingle in your pocket for a long time to come.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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Men dressed as 1880s gunfighters are forever clomping up and down wooden sidewalks with jingling spurs and holstered revolvers on their belts.—
Richard Grant,
Smithsonian Magazine,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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La Cañada resident Trent Sanders, who frequently dings California’s liberal politicos in emails to me and my colleagues, thinks Trump is generally on the right track three months into his term, but with a few caveats.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
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Each application requires the card issuer or lender to pull your credit report, which results in a hard inquiry on your report and dings your credit score a few points.—
Dan Avery,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But this time, his front-right tire was slow to come off, seemingly as the wheel gun did not connect with the wheel nut on the first attempt.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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Botanically the fruit is a drupe, not a nut.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The background music, pleasantly tinkled nightly by a real person sitting at a real piano, mixes in pop melodies alongside the Broadway classics and jazz standards.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
18 May 2025
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Another smaller-scale way to protect plants is to strategically redirect your pet's attention, especially if they're tempted to tinkle in the garden.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 May 2025
Verb
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Next came a series of crashes and bangs, pots clanging and a thwacking sound like a broom hitting the floor.—
Suleika Jaouad,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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When the broadcast returned, Henley's ball was already halfway toward the hole, clanging off the flagstick and dropping in for a swinging eagle.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ding-dong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ding-dong. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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