Tap — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈtap/

Meaning & Definition of Tap

Tap (verb)

  1. to strike lightly especially with a slight sound
  2. to give a light blow with
  3. to bring about by repeated light blows
  4. to let out or cause to flow by piercing or by drawing a plug from the containing vessel
  5. to pierce so as to let out or draw off a fluid
  6. to draw out, from, or upon

Tap (noun)

  1. a light usually audible blow; also, its sound
  2. one of several usually rapid drumbeats on a snare drum
  3. a small metal plate for the sole or heel of a shoe
  4. a plug for a hole (as in a cask), spigot
  5. a device consisting of a spout and valve attached to the end of a pipe to control the flow of a fluid, faucet
  6. a liquor drawn through a tap

Tap (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically

    "tapped her foot in time to the music"

    "kept tapping the desk with his pencil"

    similar: beat, drum, rap
    related: bang, bash, bat, bonk, bop, hammer, hit, knock, paste, pound, slam, smack, sock, strike, swat, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, chink, clatter, clink, ping, pat, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, chuck, clap, click, flick, tip

  2. to remove (liquid) gradually or completely

    "the oil company tapped that first well completely dry"

    similar: bleed, draft, drain, draw (off), pump, siphon
    related: milk, suck, clear, empty, evacuate, exhaust, vacate, vacuate, void, decant, effuse, deplete, clean, flush, purge
    opposite: fill
    near: bathe, douse, drench, soak, souse, wash, water, wet, deluge, drown, flood, inundate, overflow, submerge, swamp

Tap (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a fixture for controlling the flow of a liquid

    "turn the tap to the right for cold water and to the left for hot water"

    similar: cock, faucet, gate, spigot, stopcock, valve
    related: hydrant, spout, petcock

Related Entry: Flap (noun)

Flap is a different word from Tap. The synonyms below are for flap, not for tap.

  1. a state of wildly excited activity or emotion

    "there was a major flap when area residents found out that the President would be visiting"

    similar: agitation, deliriousness, delirium, distraction, fever, feverishness, frenzy, furor, furore, fury, hysteria, rage, rampage, uproar
    related: chaos, confusion, disorder, havoc, pandemonium, turmoil, bedlam, bother, brouhaha, bustle, clamor, clatter, commotion, disturbance, fuss, hoo-ha, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, ruckus, ruction, rumpus, shindy, squall, stew, stir, storm, tempest, to-do, tumult
    near: calm, calmness, peace, peacefulness, placidity, quiet, quietude, repose, restfulness, sereneness, serenity, still, stillness, tranquility, tranquilness

Related Entry: Tap-dance (verb)

Tap-dance is a different word from Tap. The synonyms below are for tap-dance, not for tap.

  1. as in jitterbug, waltz

    similar: boogie, bop, fox-trot, gavotte, jig, jitterbug, jive, mambo, polka, shag, shimmy, shuffle, tango, twist, waltz, prance, strut, trip, tread, dance, foot (it), hoof (it), step

Related Entry: Tap-danced (verb)

Tap-danced is a different word from Tap. The synonyms below are for tap-danced, not for tap.

  1. as in jitterbugged, waltzed

    similar: boogied, bopped, fox-trotted, gavotted, jigged, jitterbugged, jived, mamboed, polkaed, shagged, shimmied, shuffled, tangoed, twisted, waltzed, pranced, strutted, tripped, trod, danced, footed (it), hoofed (it), stepped

Related Entry: Tap-dances (verb)

Tap-dances is a different word from Tap. The synonyms below are for tap-dances, not for tap.

  1. as in jitterbugs, waltzes

    similar: boogies, bops, fox-trots, gavottes, jigs, jitterbugs, jives, mambos, polkas, shags, shimmies, shuffles, tangos, twists, waltzes, prances, struts, trips, treads, dances, foots (it), hoofs (it), steps

Related Entry: Tap-dancing (verb)

Tap-dancing is a different word from Tap. The synonyms below are for tap-dancing, not for tap.

  1. as in jitterbugging, waltzing

    similar: boogying, bopping, fox-trotting, gavotting, jigging, jitterbugging, jiving, mamboing, polkaing, shagging, shimmying, shuffling, tangoing, twisting, waltzing, prancing, strutting, tripping, treading, dancing, footing (it), hoofing (it), stepping

Related Entry: On tap (phrase)

On tap is a different word from Tap. The synonyms below are for on tap, not for tap.

  1. possible to get

    "At the meeting we discussed all of the options that were on tap."

    similar: accessible, acquirable, attainable, available, obtainable, procurable, at the ready, on hand, on file
    related: getatable, reachable, appropriable, purchasable, rentable, furnished, provided, supplied, common, omnipresent, prevalent, ubiquitous, universal, widespread, free, free-for-all, open, public, unrestricted
    opposite: inaccessible, unattainable, unavailable, unobtainable
    near: limited, off-limits, restricted, deficient, lacking, missing, rare, scarce, uncommon

  2. being soon to appear or take place

    "We have three new acts on tap for this week."

    similar: approaching, coming, forthcoming, imminent, impending, nearing, oncoming, pending, proximate, upcoming, at hand, on hand, to come
    related: future, anticipated, awaited, expected, foreseen, predicted
    opposite: late, recent
    near: bygone, erstwhile, foregone, former, old, onetime, other, past, quondam, sometime, whilom

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Tap

The most common words with a similar meaning to Tap:

beat, drum, rap, bleed, draft, drain, draw (off), pump, siphon, cock, faucet, gate, spigot, stopcock, valve

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Tap

Words with the opposite meaning of Tap:

fill

Related Words for Tap

bang, bash, bat, bonk, bop, hammer, hit, knock, paste, pound, slam, smack, sock, strike, swat, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, chink, clatter, clink, ping, pat, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, chuck, clap, click

Near Antonyms of Tap

bathe, douse, drench, soak, souse, wash, water, wet, deluge, drown, flood, inundate, overflow, submerge, swamp

Word Forms of Tap

Inflections: tapped, tapping

Origin & Etymology of Tap

Middle English tappen, from Old French taper to strike with the flat of the hand, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle High German tāpe paw, blow dealt with the paw

First known use: 13th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Tap

Words & Phrases Containing Tap

tap dance, tap-in, tap into, tap-off, tap out

Frequently Asked Questions about Tap

What does "Tap" mean?

"Tap" means to strike lightly especially with a slight sound. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to strike lightly especially with a slight sound. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Tap"?

Other words for "Tap" include beat, drum, rap, bleed, draft, drain, draw (off) and pump. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Tap" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Tap"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Tap". Common alternatives include beat, drum, rap, bleed, draft, drain, draw (off), pump, siphon and cock.

What is the opposite of "Tap"?

Antonyms of "Tap" include fill. Near antonyms include bathe, douse, drench and soak.

How do you use "Tap" in a sentence?

Examples of "Tap" in a sentence: "tapped her foot in time to the music"; "kept tapping the desk with his pencil"; "the oil company tapped that first well completely dry".

Is "Tap" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Tap" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Tap" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Tap" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Tap"?

"Tap" is pronounced /ˈtap/.