resonate
REZ-uh-nayt
/ˈrɛzəneɪt/
To evoke a feeling of shared emotion, agreement, or deep familiar understanding; to produce a deep, full, reverberating sound.
Used metaphorically when an idea, story, or speech creates a strong emotional echo in an audience.
The story behind the word. Borrowed from Latin 'resonare' (to sound back or echo). Expanded in 20th-century rhetoric to mean emotional echoing in human minds.
Word relationships
- reverberate: Reverberate emphasizes physical echo or widespread fallout, while resonate emphasizes emotional alignment.
- fall flat: To fall flat means to produce no emotional impact or response.
Commonly confused with
- rapport: Resonate applies to ideas or stories echoing in a mind; rapport applies to mutual trust between people.
Word family
- resonance (noun): Deep emotional or acoustic quality.
- resonant (adjective): Deep, clear, and continuing to sound or echo.
Collocations
- resonate deeply
- resonate with
- fail to resonate
- resonate strongly
Idioms & expressions
- strike a resonant chord
Example sentences
- "The leader's powerful message of hope resonated deeply with citizens across the country." Speech writing
- "Her memoir about overcoming exile continued to resonate with generations of readers." Literary review
Memory hook
Resonate = RE-SOUNDING in your mind because it hits home. Echoing with deep emotional truth.
When not to use
Do not use to describe direct interpersonal relationships; say people 'have rapport' or 'connect'.
Fun facts
- Acoustic resonance is why singing in the shower sounds so much richer—the sound waves bounce back in harmony!
Related words
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