arf
|arf|
🇺🇸
/ɑrf/
🇬🇧
/ɑːf/
short, imitative bark
Etymology
'arf' originates from English, imitative in origin, specifically reflecting the sound of a dog's bark rather than deriving from a distinct root or foreign language.
'arf' appeared in colloquial and written English in the 19th century as an onomatopoeic representation (variants and reduplicated forms such as 'arf arf' or 'arff' were used) and was retained in modern English as the standard imitative form.
Initially it meant the imitative sound of a dog's bark, and over time it has largely retained that same meaning in both noun and interjection uses (and as a light verb).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a short, sharp bark; the sound a dog makes (imitative).
I heard an arf outside the window.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Verb 1
to utter a short, sharp bark (of a dog); to make an arf sound.
The little dog will arf whenever someone walks by.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Interjection 1
an imitative utterance representing a dog's bark (used in speech or writing).
Arf! The toy made a noise and the dog jumped.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/11 12:06