call
call
Pronunciation
call
/kɔːl/
/k/ - voiceless velar stop
/ɔː/ - open-mid back rounded vowel (long)
/l/ - alveolar lateral approximant
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: call
Plural Noun: calls
Verb (Base Form): call
Verb (Third Person Singular Present): calls
Verb (Present Participle): calling
Verb (Past Tense/Past Participle): called
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
1. A spoken or shouted utterance intended to attract attention or communicate something.
Example: She heard a distant call for help and immediately went to investigate.
Synonyms: shout, cry, yell, summons
Antonyms: whisper, silence, muttering
2. A brief visit, especially one made socially or for business.
Example: He paid a courtesy call on his new neighbors.
Synonyms: visit, stop, trip, appointment
Antonyms: departure, absence, avoidance
3. A decision, particularly one that is difficult or requires judgment.
Example: It was a tough call, but the referee ultimately decided to award the penalty.
Synonyms: decision, judgment, ruling, verdict
Antonyms: indecision, hesitation, wavering
4. The characteristic sound made by an animal, especially a bird.
Example: The distinct call of a cuckoo echoed through the woods.
Synonyms: cry, song, sound, note
Antonyms: silence, muteness
5. A strong inner feeling or urge to pursue a particular vocation or purpose.
Example: She felt a strong call to dedicate her life to humanitarian work.
Synonyms: vocation, urge, impulse, pull
Antonyms: disinclination, aversion, reluctance
6. (Telecommunications) An instance of communicating by telephone.
Example: I need to make a quick call to my mother.
Synonyms: phone call, telephone call, ring
Antonyms: hang-up, disconnection
Verb
1. To utter a loud sound or cry, often to attract attention or communicate.
Example: She had to call out his name several times before he heard her.
Synonyms: shout, yell, cry out, exclaim
Antonyms: whisper, murmur, mumble
2. To contact someone by telephone.
Example: I'll call you later to confirm our plans.
Synonyms: phone, ring, dial, buzz (informal)
Antonyms: hang up, disconnect, avoid calling
3. To name or give a title to something or someone.
Example: They decided to call their new puppy "Max."
Synonyms: name, title, designate, christen
Antonyms: unname, disregard, ignore
4. To summon or ask someone to come to a particular place or for a specific purpose.
Example: The manager had to call an urgent meeting.
Synonyms: summon, convene, invite, request
Antonyms: dismiss, send away, disband
5. To consider or describe someone or something in a particular way.
Example: Some people might call that risky behavior.
Synonyms: consider, label, describe, term
Antonyms: misinterpret, misunderstand, disregard
6. (Cards) To demand that an opponent show their hand, especially in poker.
Example: He had a strong hand and decided to call his bluff.
Synonyms: challenge, demand, expose
Antonyms: fold, concede, bluff
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was the kind of day that made you want to call in sick and spend it at the beach." (From The Midnight Library by Matt Haig)
"The wild call of the wolf echoed through the moonlit forest, a primal sound that stirred something deep within him." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens)
Newspapers:
"The mayor issued a call for calm after the protests escalated." (The New York Times)
"Economists call for bolder action on climate change as extreme weather events increase." (The Guardian, 2025)
Online Publications:
"Is it time to call time on the traditional office workspace?" (Harvard Business Review)
"Experts call for greater cybersecurity measures amidst rising global threats." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "You've got to make the right call in this situation, detective, or innocent people will die." (Dialogue from Knives Out)
Television Series: "Breaking Bad: Walter White's final call to his son remains one of the most poignant moments in television history." (Analysis on a TV fan forum)
Music (Song Title/Lyric): "Hello, it's me. I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet / To go over everything. They say that time's supposed to heal ya / But I ain't done much healing." (Lyric from "Hello" by Adele)
Video Game: "Player: 'I'll call for backup!' Radio chatter: 'Roger that, support inbound.'" (Dialogue from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare)
Podcast: "In this week's episode, we discuss the recent call for more diverse voices in the podcasting industry." (From "The Podcast Perspective,")
General Public Discourse:
"My boss just sent out a call for volunteers for the charity event next month." (Heard in casual conversation)
"I got a spam call from an unknown number this morning, nearly picked it up by mistake." (Heard in casual conversation)
"That was a close call! Almost missed my train." (Heard in casual conversation)
10 Quotes Using Call
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
"I believe there's a calling for all of us... To answer the call." (Oprah Winfrey)
"Pardon me, but there's someone on the phone who says they have a call for you." (Jeaniene Frost)
"There comes a time in a man's life when he hears the call of the sea. 'Hey, YOU!' are the sea's exact words." (Dave Barry)
"If he's not calling you, it's because you are not on his mind." (G. G. Marquez)
"There is no such thing as a good call at 7 AM." (Janet Evanovich)
"If you look hard and long, you can find us. If you listen hard and long, you can hear any of us, call any of us that you wish." (Tamora Pierce)
"I would make an anonymous call and say, this is someone who cares, do you know what kind of children you have?" (Elizabeth Berg)
"He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him." (Psalm 91:15, King James Bible)
"The Lord did call Samuel; and he answered, Here am I." (1 Samuel 3:4, King James Bible)
Etymology
The word "call" has a long history, tracing its roots back to ancient Germanic languages.
It originally comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*kalzōną," which meant "to call" or "to shout." This Proto-Germanic word itself is believed to have come from an even older Proto-Indo-European root "*gel(H)-" meaning "to vocalize, call, shout." So, right from its very beginnings, the core idea was about making a loud sound with your voice.
In English, we see "call" emerging in Old English (before 1150 AD) as "ċeallian," which also meant "to shout" or "utter in a loud voice." However, it was not the most common word for "to shout" at that time.
By the Middle English period (around the mid-13th century), the word "call" (as "callen") became more widely used, influenced by Old Norse "kalla," which had a similar meaning of "to cry loudly, summon in a loud voice, or even name someone."
So, the very first known uses and meanings of "call" were primarily about making a loud sound with your voice to get attention, summon someone, or simply to shout. Over time, its meaning expanded to include things like giving a name to something, making a short visit (because you'd "call" at someone's door), and eventually, in the late 19th century, referring to a telephone communication.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Call
Call it a day: To stop working on something.
Call the shots: To be in control and make decisions.
Call someone's bluff: To challenge someone to prove their claim.
Call names: To insult someone.
Call for: To demand or require something.
Call of nature: A euphemism for needing to use the bathroom.
A close call: A narrow escape from danger or disaster.
Call to mind: To remember something.
Call into question: To doubt or challenge something.
On call: Available to be summoned for work or duty at any time.
Call someone out: To challenge or confront someone about something they've said or done.
Call the tune: To be in control of a situation; similar to "call the shots."
Call dibs: To claim something for oneself before anyone else.
Call time: To declare an end to something, often a game or activity.
The call of the wild: A strong desire to return to a more natural, uncivilized state.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of call from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
