Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
dun dun dun. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
dun dun dun, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
dun dun dun in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
dun dun dun you have here. The definition of the word
dun dun dun will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
dun dun dun, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
An onomatopoeic representation of a three-note dramatic sting (“short musical phrase”), probably the seventh to ninth notes (E♭-C-F♯) from the start of the theme music of the American police procedural television series Dragnet (first broadcast 1967–1970), which was used for dramatic effect during various episodes. The tune, originally simply called “Main Title” and later “Danger Ahead”, was composed by the American composer Walter Schumann (1913–1958), based on the beginning of the theme music of the film The Killers (1946) by the Hungarian-American composer Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995).
Pronunciation
Interjection
dun dun dun
- (informal) Used as a dramatic pause, or to emphasize that something is frightening, thrilling, etc.
2006, H. M. Leathem, chapter 3, in W.T.F.?: What Is Wrong with Tom Faerie, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 22:I am not going to tell you the exact locations of my stops, but my final destination (dun dun dun) is London, England. It is there that I will figure out my life purpose.
2007, Amanda Kerlin, Phil Oh, chapter 5, in Secrets of the Model Dorm, New York, N.Y.: Washington Square Press, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 53:"All right—dun, dun, dun! Time to get measured, hon." Luke tried to play off the seriousness of my weekly face-to-face with my own potential unworthiness to be a model with this little bit, but it made me feel even worse, thinking about how many empty calories in champagne and vodka I'd slurped down since I last saw him, […]
2012, Mike Draper, “Will the Last One out of the Midwest just Remember to Extinguish the Tire Fire?”, in The Midwest: God’s Gift to Planet Earth!: An Illustrated Guide to the History and Culture of the Galaxy’s most Important Region, Des Moines, Iowa: Raygun, →ISBN, part 5 (We’re #1 by a Wider Margin than Usual!), page 192:In the movie [RoboCop (1987)], central Detroit is "Old Detroit." […] When police officer Alex Murphy starts his term in Old Detroit, his fellow officers tell him, "Welcome to hell." / Dun dun dun.
- dun (imitating a deep bass note, such as that found in suspenseful music)
Translations
used as a dramatic pause, or to emphasize that something is frightening, thrilling, etc.