chimes
chimes — noun
1. A row of small bells, hollow metal tubes, or tuned pieces that make a clear ring
A row of small bells, hollow metal tubes, or tuned pieces that make a clear ringing sound when something hits them, played as an instrument or hung up to be moved by the wind.
Yumi hung a set of bamboo chimes on the porch so they would sing whenever the wind blew.
collocation: hang / put up chimes
The orchestra's chimes rang out three clear notes at the end of the song.
collocation: chimes ring out / sound
Eli could hear the brass chimes from the temple gate two streets away.
A soft breeze made the silver chimes on the balcony tinkle gently all afternoon.
Felix struck the chimes with a small wooden hammer to mark the start of the ceremony.
- bells
more general; any ringing object, not necessarily tuned as a set
- wind chimes
the specific outdoor compound; very common in everyday speech
- carillon
formal / technical; a large set of tuned tower bells, usually keyboard-played
文法句型
a set of chimes
wind chimes
play the chimes
用法筆記
Almost always plural, because the instrument is a SET of bells or tubes — you rarely say 'a chime' for the instrument as a whole. Common compound: 'wind chimes' (the ones hung outdoors).
常見錯誤
chimes — verb
1. (of a bell, clock, or set of bells) to make a clear musical ringing sound, often
(of a bell, clock, or set of bells) to make a clear musical ringing sound, often to mark the time or to call attention.
The old church clock chimes every hour, and you can hear it from the village square.
typical subject: clock / church bell
Piotr waited for the school bell to chime before he packed his bag.
collocation: bell chimes
Big Ben chimed midnight just as the New Year began.
Somewhere in the house a small grandfather clock chimed softly at three.
Lien loved how the brass bells chimed each time the café door opened.
文法句型
clock / bell chimes
chime + time expression
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a bell, clock, or set of bells — not a person. Frequently followed by a time word (chimes the hour, chimed midnight) when the sound marks time.
常見錯誤
2. To make a bell or clock produce a ringing sound by hitting or operating it, espe
To make a bell or clock produce a ringing sound by hitting or operating it, especially to mark a particular time or signal.
The old guard chimed the great bell at noon to call the workers in for lunch.
pattern: chime + bell + purpose
Nikhil chimed the brass bell three times to announce the start of the meal.
pattern: chime + bell + number of times
The clock tower chimes the hour automatically using a motor and small hammers.
Roya gently chimed the singing bowl with a small wooden stick to begin the meditation.
文法句型
chime + bell / chime + the hour
用法筆記
Less common than the intransitive sense. Object must be something that produces a clear ringing tone (bell, clock, singing bowl), not a drum or a phone.
常見錯誤
3. To show or announce that something is happening by ringing a bell or clock — for
To show or announce that something is happening by ringing a bell or clock — for example, a new hour, an arrival, or the start of an event.
The cathedral bells chimed the arrival of the new bishop as the crowd gathered in the square.
pattern: chime + arrival / event
A small bell chimed the start of each round of the chess tournament.
pattern: chime + the start of [event]
The town hall clock chimed five o'clock, and the market stalls began closing for the night.
Isabela listened as the temple gong chimed the change of the watch.
文法句型
chime + event / chime + time
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (intransitive 'a bell chimes') and sense 2 (transitive 'someone chimes a bell'): here the bell or clock IS the subject, and the object is the EVENT being announced (the hour, an arrival, the start of something).
常見錯誤
4. (formal) to fit together well in opinion, feeling, or style, especially in a way
(formal) to fit together well in opinion, feeling, or style, especially in a way that feels harmonious — used about ideas, views, or moods, not people in everyday speech.
Christopher's views on free education chime with the policies of the new minister.
pattern: chime with + opinion / policy
The film's gentle ending chimes nicely with the quiet mood of the opening scene.
pattern: chime with + tone / mood
Esme's reading of the poem chimed perfectly with the music playing in the background.
The two reports chime in their main findings, though they differ on the smaller details.
- clash
ideas or styles that conflict instead of fitting together
文法句型
chime with someone / something
two ideas chime
用法筆記
Formal / literary register. Subjects are usually ideas, opinions, moods, or works of art — not people themselves. Often paired with adverbs like 'nicely', 'perfectly', 'well'.
常見錯誤
5. (formal, rare) to say the same word or phrase over and over in an insistent, som
(formal, rare) to say the same word or phrase over and over in an insistent, sometimes annoying way.
Putri's grandmother kept chiming the same warning about the slippery floor all morning.
pattern: chime + warning / phrase
The radio host chimed the campaign slogan so often that listeners began to laugh.
Élise chimed her usual question about dinner three times before anyone answered.
Old Mr. Defne would chime the same proverb whenever a young person made a mistake.
文法句型
chime + word / phrase
用法筆記
Very rare in modern speech — mostly literary. The object is usually a short fixed phrase (warning, slogan, proverb) that the speaker repeats. Distinguish from 'chime in' (phrasal sense: to join a conversation suddenly), which is far more common.