Onomatopoeic Words: Nature

Whilst many of us may venture into the great outdoors for a bit of fresh air and peace, Nature is anything but quiet! From the rustling of leaves on a windy day, to the rumble of distant thunder, to the soothing crash of waves on a sandy shore, onomatopoeia is everywhere!

boom
(of thunder) make a loud, deep resonant sound
verb: The thunder boomed in the background, getting louder as the storm approached.
noun: On hearing the boom of thunder, the cat scurried under the bed.
See also: Humans

crash
(of waves) make a loud splashing sound when hitting rocks or the shore
verb: I fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks.
noun: The crash of waves outside was comfort to me as I tried to fall asleep.
See also: Impacts

crunch
(of frozen snow) make a grinding sound when being stepped on
verb: The snow crunched beneath my feet as I approached the house.
noun: The crunch of footsteps on the snow outside told me we were not alone.

patter
(of light rain) make a repeated tapping sound when falling
verb: the rain pattered against the window, leaving droplets of water on the glass.
noun: I woke to the patter of rain outside.

rumble
(of thunder) make a low continuous sound, often when approaching or moving away
verb: Thunder was rumbling in the distance, so we quickly took our things inside.
noun: The distant rumble of thunder told me a storm was approaching.
See also: Humans

rustle
(of dry leaves) make a soft, muffled crackling sound when moved
verb: I could hear the squirrel rustling through the pile of dried leaves.
noun: There was a rustle in the bushes behind me, and suddenly the cat appeared.

snap
(of twigs, branches etc) make a quick, sharp, crackling sound when broken in two
verb: The twig suddenly snapped as I gently tried to bend it back.
noun: There was a loud snap as he trod on the dry branch.
See also: Animals, Humans, Food

squelch
(of liquid or mud) make a soft sucking sound when pressure is applied to it
verb: We squelched through the mud, wishing we’d worn our boots.
noun: The squelch of their feet in the mud outside woke the sleeping dog.

trickle
(of liquid) flow in a slow, narrow, steady stream
verb: As the ice melted, water started to trickle down the slope.
noun: The trickle of water told me there might be a stream nearby.
See also: Gasses

whoosh
(of wind) make a sound when moving swiftly
verb: The wind whooshed outside as we sat down to our dinner.
noun: There was a sudden whoosh of air as the wind blew the door open.