To honk means to make a loud, sharp sound like a car horn or a goose. When a driver honks their horn, they press a button that creates a blaring noise to warn other drivers or get someone's attention. Geese honk as they fly overhead in V-formations, their calls echoing across the sky.

The word captures that particular blaring quality of the sound. A car horn doesn't beep softly or chime pleasantly: it honks with urgency. When you hear someone honking in traffic, they might be alerting another driver who didn't notice the light turned green, or warning someone who's drifting into their lane.

The noun form describes the sound itself: a honk from a taxi, the honk of wild geese. People sometimes playfully honk a bicycle horn or even gently squeeze someone's nose while saying “honk!” as a joke. But most often, you'll encounter this word when hearing the unmistakable blast of a car horn or the distinctive call of geese migrating with the seasons.