resonate
REZ-uh-neyt
/ˈrez.ən.eɪt/
To produce or be filled with a deep, full, reverberating sound; or to evoke a strong shared feeling, emotional response, or meaning.
Implies echo, physical vibration, or personal connection that lingers meaningfully over time.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'resonare', meaning 'to sound again' or 'echo', combining 're-' (again) and 'sonare' (to sound). It originally described acoustic reverberation before extending metaphorically to human empathy.
Word relationships
- reverberate: Reverberate emphasizes physical bouncing of sound off surfaces, while resonate highlights ongoing depth and emotional connection.
- echo: Echo implies an exact repeated copy of a sound, whereas resonate implies continuous deep vibration.
- dampen: Dampen means to suppress or deaden acoustic vibration.
Commonly confused with
- reason: Reason is logical thinking, whereas resonate relates to physical or emotional vibration.
Word family
- resonance (noun): The quality of being resonant; deep reverberating sound or meaningful emotional impact.
- resonant (adjective): Deep, clear, and continuing to vibrate or ring.
Collocations
- resonate deeply
- resonate with readers
- emotionally resonate
Idioms & expressions
- resonate with someone
Example sentences
- "The singer's voice resonated through the grand cathedral, filling every corner with clear sound." Acoustic architecture
Memory hook
RE-SOUND again and again to RESONATE. Echoing deeply with sound or feeling.
When not to use
Do not use to describe brief, sharp, high-pitched clicks or snaps.
Fun facts
- Sympathetic resonance allows an untouched guitar string to start vibrating automatically when an adjacent string is struck at an identical harmonic frequency.
Related words
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