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

The videos saved his daughter’s life The game also probably resonates with those who've experienced parental trauma in their own lives. —Charles Trepany, USA Today, 21 June 2026

The emotional approach resonated immediately, drawing millions of views and thousands of comments. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026

But a small number of videos pushing misinformation about sunscreen received a disproportionately high share of likes, shares and comments on the platform, suggesting that anti-sunscreen views resonate strongly with some users, according to a new study published Thursday. —Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 20 June 2026

What appears to resonate most with fans is not the costume or the viral fame, but the relationship between the man and the dog. —Fernanda Pesce, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for resonate

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

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