resonate
REZ-uh-nayt
/ˈrɛzəneɪt/
To evoke a deep, sympathetic response, emotional understanding, or lasting impression in someone.
Implies an idea or emotional theme striking a personal chord within a listener's existing experience.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'resonare' ('to sound back' or 'echo'). Acoustic science used it to describe sound waves vibrating sympathetic objects. In the 20th century, writers applied it figuratively to thoughts and stories echoing inside human hearts.
Word relationships
- reverberate: Focuses more on physical echo or wide-reaching social repercussions.
- strike a chord: An idiomatic equivalent emphasizing immediate emotional reaction.
- fall flat: To fail completely to evoke interest, emotion, or reaction.
- alienate: To cause someone to feel hostile, detached, or indifferent.
Commonly confused with
- reasonate: 'Reasonate' is a misspelling; 'resonate' comes from sound resonance.
Word family
- resonance (noun): The quality of evoking deep emotions or echoes.
- resonant (adjective): Deep, clear, and continuing to sound or evoke emotion.
Collocations
- resonate deeply
- resonate with audiences
- fail to resonate
- resonate strongly
Idioms & expressions
- strike a chord
- ring true
Example sentences
- "The candidate's speech on economic fairness continued to resonate with working-class voters long after the rally." Political rhetoric
- "A violin body must resonate naturally to produce a rich, room-filling acoustic tone." Musical commentary
Memory hook
RESONATE = RE-SOUNDING in your heart like a beautiful song. RESONATE = SOUNDING back inside your soul.
When not to use
Avoid when describing quick, shallow, or purely logical agreements that carry no emotional weight.
Fun facts
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines work by making the hydrogen atoms in human cells resonate to radio frequencies.
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.