物音|ものおとmonooto[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounnoise; sound
   少年しょうねんは物音ものおとに震ふるえた。↗

   The boy quivered at the sound.

• RelatedサウンドNeutralLoanword for sound or audio, especially music and equipment, as in 「サウンドシステム」. Not for faint unidentified noises like 「物音」.
• Related響きひびきNeutralSame word as the entry above, written 「響き」; the meaning is identical — many people stirring or gasping in surprise at once.
• Related雑音ざつおんNeutralNoise that interferes or annoys, such as static; also figuratively gossip or criticism, as in 「外野の雑音」. 「物音」 is just a faint sound, not necessarily unpleasant.
• RelatedノイズNeutralLoanword for noise, especially electronic static in audio or communications equipment. 「物音」 is a faint sound you hear around you, not technical interference.
• RelatedどよめきNeutralA stir or commotion running through a crowd, often of surprise, as in 「どよめきが起こる」. 「物音」 is just a faint sound from some object.
• RelatedさざめきWrittenWritten, literary word for the hubbub of a crowd chatting and laughing. 「物音」 is a plain, everyday word for a faint sound.
• Antonym静寂せいじゃくNeutralThe opposite of 「物音」: deep silence or stillness, with no sounds at all to be heard.
• Antonym無音むおんNeutralAlso the opposite of 「物音」: the state of having no sound or none audible. Common in audio and video contexts.

For a faint sound from somewhere you can't place, use 「物音」, as in 「物音がする」. A crowd's gasp of surprise is 「どよめき」; interference is 「雑音」 or 「ノイズ」; sound in the sense of audio effects is 「サウンド」. The opposite is 「静寂」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 何なんかの物ものが立たてる音おと。どこか不審ふしんだが、あまり大おおきくない音おとについて言ゆう。）