harmonic
/hɑːˈmɒnɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /hɑːrˈmɑːnɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /här-ˈmä-nik/ (ame, mw) · /hɑːˈmɒn.ɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /hɑːrˈmɑː.nɪk/ (ame, ipa)
harmonic — adjective
- harmonicpositive
- more harmoniccomparative
- most harmonicsuperlative
1. connected with the way different musical notes combine to create a pleasant, ble
connected with the way different musical notes combine to create a pleasant, blended sound when played or sung at the same time.
The choir's harmonic blend gave the audience goosebumps during the final song.
collocation: harmonic blend
Yuki practiced harmonic progressions on the piano until the chord changes felt natural.
collocation: harmonic progression
Javier studied harmonic theory to understand why certain note combinations feel warm and complete.
Amara adjusted her guitar strings to create a richer harmonic texture behind the lead melody.
The music teacher explained harmonic structure by drawing chord diagrams on the whiteboard.
- harmonious
broader — can describe social relationships, colours, or general agreement, not just music
- musical
less specific — refers to any aspect of music, not only harmony
- dissonant
describes sounds that clash rather than blend together pleasingly
- discordant
similarly describes a lack of musical agreement between notes
文法句型
harmonic + noun (progression, texture, structure, series)
用法筆記
Commonly appears before nouns describing musical elements such as progression, texture, structure, and series. The broader adjective 'harmonious' can also describe non-musical situations, but 'harmonic' is almost always technical or musical.
常見錯誤
2. relating to the faint, higher-pitched notes that arise naturally above a fundame
relating to the faint, higher-pitched notes that arise naturally above a fundamental pitch when a string, air column, or voice produces a sound.
The cellist produced a clear harmonic note by drawing the bow lightly across the string.
By touching the string at the twelfth fret, Kenji created a bell-like harmonic tone.
creating a harmonic by touching a string at a nodal point
A soft harmonic pitch floated above the main note when Fatima played the flute quietly.
The recording engineer explained that the violin's harmonic series gave it a silvery tone.
- overtone
interchangeable in most musical contexts; 'overtone' can also be used metaphorically
- fundamental
the main, lowest note of a vibrating system, as opposed to the higher overtones
文法句型
harmonic + noun (note, tone, series)
用法筆記
Used to describe the naturally occurring overtones that give instruments their unique sound colour (timbre). Unlike sense 1, which is about the relationship between different notes, this sense focuses on the single extra notes that join a fundamental pitch.
常見錯誤
3. relating to the frequencies in a wave, vibration, or oscillation that are whole-
relating to the frequencies in a wave, vibration, or oscillation that are whole-number multiples of the lowest or main frequency of that system.
The engineers measured the harmonic frequencies produced by the vibrating metal bridge.
collocation: harmonic frequencies
Nalini's physics project explored harmonic patterns in the sound waves from a tuning fork.
The machine's harmonic vibrations caused unwanted noise at certain operating speeds.
Olga calculated the harmonic relationships between different wave frequencies in the signal.
In physics class, the students studied harmonic motion by observing a swinging pendulum.
- resonant
more specific — describes a frequency at which a system naturally vibrates most strongly
文法句型
harmonic + noun (frequency, wave, vibration, oscillation)
用法筆記
Primarily used in physics, engineering, and electronics. The object of study is typically a periodic system where energy repeats at regular intervals. This sense is distinct from senses 1 and 2, which relate specifically to music and hearing.
常見錯誤
harmonic — noun
- harmonicsingular
- harmonicsplural
1. a faint, high-pitched note that sounds naturally above the main note when a stri
a faint, high-pitched note that sounds naturally above the main note when a string, air column, or other vibrating body is made to vibrate in sections rather than as a whole.
The violinist produced a beautiful harmonic by lightly touching the string at its midpoint.
creating a harmonic by lightly touching a string
Elena could hear the harmonics ringing out as the brass bell continued to vibrate.
Each harmonic on the trumpet has a distinct pitch above the main note.
The music student learned to identify harmonics by listening to the different layers of sound.
Wei recorded the harmonics of each piano key to study how it produces its tone.
- fundamental
the lowest, main pitch of a vibrating system
文法句型
play/produce + a/the + harmonic
harmonic + of + [instrument/string]
用法筆記
On string instruments, a harmonic is played by lightly touching the string at specific points (called nodes) rather than pressing it down fully against the fingerboard. This technique produces a clear, bell-like sound.
常見錯誤
2. a frequency in a wave, oscillation, or electrical signal that is an exact whole-
a frequency in a wave, oscillation, or electrical signal that is an exact whole-number multiple of the lowest or main frequency in that system.
Fatima adjusted the radio antenna to reduce the second harmonic, which was interfering with nearby frequencies.
the + ordinal + harmonic pattern
Chen calculated the harmonics of the radio signal to filter out background interference.
The speaker design amplifies the lower harmonics while reducing distortion in the higher ones.
Hana discovered that the third harmonic of the source matched the target frequency exactly.
In physics class, the students measured the harmonics of sound waves from different objects.
- harmonic frequency
fuller term used for clarity in technical writing and engineering contexts
- fundamental
the lowest frequency of a periodic system
文法句型
the + ordinal + harmonic
harmonic of + [frequency/wave]
用法筆記
In technical contexts, the first harmonic is the same as the fundamental frequency; the second harmonic is twice that frequency, the third is three times, and so on. Harmonics are important in signal processing, acoustics, and electrical engineering.