resonate

verb

res·​o·​nate ˈre-zə-ˌnāt 

resonated; resonating; resonates

intransitive verb

1

: to produce or exhibit resonance

especially : to produce a loud, clear, deep, and continuous sound

The siren resonated throughout the city.

A person's voice … is made by sound resonating in the mouth and nose …

—Ken Carlson

2

: to respond as if by resonance

resonate to the music

also : to have a repetitive pattern that resembles resonance

3

: to have particular meaning or importance : to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way

a message that resonates with voters

Her stories of grit and hard work resonate in this part of the country.

—Molly Longman

transitive verb

: to subject to resonating

Did you know?

Resonate vs. Reverberate

Resonate and reverberate each have at least one meaning that is concerned with sound, and they carry a degree of overlap in their definitions. However, there are some subtle differences between them that are worth observing. Resonate typically suggests that a single lasting sound is produced; reverberate, on the other hand, indicates that an initial sound is followed by a series of echoes. In terms of the contexts in which they are used, resonate often involves a person (“that passage of the book resonated with many young readers”); reverberate, on the other hand, is more likely to be used of a thing, such as the aftermath of some major event (“the shock caused by the assassination reverberated across Europe”).

Synonyms of resonate

• echo
• reverberate

Examples of resonate in a Sentence

The siren resonated throughout the city.

The deep sounds of the bassoon resonated through the concert hall.

Recent Examples on the Web

Getting the president on board Although environmental advocacy groups such as Friends of the Great Salt Lake, the Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy have been pushing for years to save the Great Salt Lake, Romney said their messages had not been resonating with his community. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 7 Mar. 2026

Tatum spoke up in a team meeting on Thursday, sharing a message of gratitude and appreciation that resonated with head coach Joe Mazzulla. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026

Nonetheless, the current talks with representatives of the Cuban government has resonated differently, in good part because the chief negotiator for the United States is Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who grew up in Miami and who enjoys broad credibility in the exile community. —Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2026

But the show, created by Jonathan Glatzer, also captures something about the people that goes beyond caricature and that resonates at this particular moment. —Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for resonate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

resonate

verb

res·​o·​nate ˈrez-ᵊn-ˌāt 

resonated; resonating

1

: to produce or exhibit resonance

2

a

: to respond as if by resonance

resonate to the music

b

: to strike a chord

a message that resonates with voters