echo

noun \ ˈe-(ˌ)kō \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

plural echoes also echos

1 a : the repetition of a sound caused by reflection of sound waves

b : the sound due to such reflection

2 a : a repetition or imitation of another : reflection

b : repercussion, result

c : trace, vestige

d : response

3 : one who closely imitates or repeats another's words, ideas, or acts

4 : a soft repetition of a musical phrase

5 a : the repetition of a received radio signal due especially to reflection of part of the wave from an ionized layer of the atmosphere

b (1) : the reflection of transmitted radar signals by an object

(2) : the visual indication of this reflection on a radarscope

—

echoey

play \ˈe-ˌkō-ē\ adjective

See echo defined for English-language learners

See echo defined for kids

Examples of echo in a Sentence

We shouted into the canyon and listened to the echo of our voices.
the echo of footsteps in the hall
His work contains echoes of older and greater poets.
The book's title is an echo of a line from an old folk song.
The crime is a chilling echo of the murders that shocked the city two years ago.

Recent Examples of echo from the Web

In a bit of an echo from the weekend, a short period of windy conditions shows up on the coast Tuesday morning.

— OregonLive.com, "Portland metro Tuesday weather: Windy and rainy morning with high winds at the coast," 10 Apr. 2018
But there are echoes of the Norwegian approach in Echo.

— peter rowe, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Echo Yard, where normal prison rules no longer apply," 8 Apr. 2018
Kid Rock, Stone Temple Pilots and Counting Crows will wake up echoes of the 1990s this summer at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center.

— david lindquist, Indianapolis Star, "Kid Rock, STP and Counting Crows join Ruoff concert lineup," 7 Apr. 2018
Briscella’s chairs echo work from designers like Joris Laarman and companies like Autodesk, who are also exploring how classic design can be reinterpreted through algorithms and new fabrication technology.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "These 3D-printed chairs are a twist on midcentury classics," 6 Apr. 2018
Murray and Lévy's submissions to the parliamentary committee echo Delaere's concerns and add several accusations.

— matt warren, Science | AAAS, "Two controversial stem cell trials could harm patients, critics say," 29 Mar. 2018
The protests have echoes of what happened the last time a new president was elected.

— david crary, BostonGlobe.com, "Student protests reflect growing trend of Americans embracing activism," 24 Mar. 2018
Perez’s thoughts on domestic violence echo the warning signs of abuse shared by Health contributing psychology editor Gail Saltz, MD, in a previous article.

— blake bakkila, Health.com, "Woman in Viral Domestic Violence Video Shares a Message for Fellow Survivors," 15 Mar. 2018
Maybe that's because, in a post #MeToo world, Erica's vindictive quest holds echoes of the fears voiced by so many men that this all could go too far; that they could be wrongly accused, found guilty, and sentenced before being allowed due process.

— refinery29.com, "Flower Review: Zoey Deutch Is A Star, But The Movie Doesn't Quite Bloom," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'echo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of echo

Middle English ecco, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French echo, from Latin, from Greek ēchō; akin to Latin vagire to wail, Greek ēchē sound

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

echo Synonyms

Synonyms

ghost, relic, shadow, trace, vestige;

Related Words

memento, remembrance, reminder;

artifact;

afterimage, aftertaste;

balance, corpse, hangover, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap;

dreg(s), leavings, remain(s), residual, residue, rest;

Other Physics Terms

amplitude, centrifugal, centripetal, convection, gradient, hysteresis, kinetic, lase, quantum

echo

verb

echoed; echoing play \ˈe-(ˌ)kō-iŋ, ˈe-kə-wiŋ\

intransitive verb

1 : to resound with echoes

2 : to produce an echo

transitive verb

1 a : repeat, imitate

children echoing their teacher's words

b : to restate in support or agreement

his successor echoed his opinion

c : to be reminiscent of : evoke

music that echoes an earlier time

2 : to send back (a sound) by the reflection of sound waves

See echo defined for English-language learners

Examples of echo in a Sentence

The music echoed through the church.
Laughter echoed across the lake.
Their voices echoed in the hall.
His warnings are echoed by many other experts in the field.
“It's in Rome.” “In Rome?” she echoed.
Others have echoed her criticisms.
The book's title echoes a line from an old folk song.
The crime echoes last year's shocking murders.

Recent Examples of echo from the Web

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rattled currency markets briefly in January when said a weak dollar could be good for U.S. trade, echoing statements made by Mr. Trump last year.

— nick timiraos, WSJ, "Trump Breaches Precedent by Commenting on Currency Values," 16 Apr. 2018
The profitable company was willing to chase any story, especially those echoing the Copleys’ anti-Communist views.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, ""A Faithful Mirror": The San Diego Union-Tribune's first 150 years," 15 Apr. 2018
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers said Trump’s attacks on Amazon echoed Mussolini’s Italy, where the state cowed private companies or destroyed them.

— zachary karabell, WIRED, "Trump’s Attack on Amazon Actually Has Its Precedents," 15 Apr. 2018
But the internet winner of Friday’s game was the Knights’ Twitter account, which dished out some hilarious sass and a few clever jokes while echoing the anxious feelings of its fan base.

— michelle r. martinelli, For The Win, "Golden Knights' Twitter account had all the jokes during double-OT win vs. Kings," 14 Apr. 2018
The slam of the penalty box door shutting echoed throughout Honda Center over and over as a parade of Ducks players entered and exited to the tune of seven minor penalties (the Sharks committed just three).

— mike coppinger, latimes.com, "Ducks barely put up a fight in loss to Sharks 3-0," 13 Apr. 2018
White House aide Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Friday, echoing a portrayal that Trump has applied to himself in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

— joshua gallu, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Pardons Cheney Aide Scooter Libby for Perjury in CIA Probe," 13 Apr. 2018
Yet there is also evidence of wickedly careful design – a scene of Joe singing with his mother (Judith Roberts) echoes later in what may be the strangest musical duet ever committed to film, eerily memorable and effective.

— gary thompson, Philly.com, "You Were Never Really Here," 11 Apr. 2018
The damage done to Walden Pond echoes a greater problem that plagues many of the national parks, Chodosh writes.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "Humans Have Wreaked Havoc on Walden Pond," 10 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of echo

1596

echo Synonyms

Echo

noun \ ˈe-(ˌ)kō \

: a nymph in Greek mythology who pines away for love of Narcissus until nothing is left of her but her voice

Origin and Etymology of echo

Greek Ēchō

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1595

See Words from the same year

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

elysian, fay, muse, nimbus, phoenix

Echo

communications code word

—used as a code word for the letter e

First Known Use of echo

1952

Other Alphabet Terms

cuneiform, linear, minuscule, pictograph, rune, symbology, wedge

ECHO Defined for English Language Learners

echo

noun

: a sound that is a copy of another sound and that is produced when sound waves bounce off a surface (such as a wall)
: something (such as a feature or quality) that repeats or resembles something else
: something that is similar to something that happened or existed before

echo

verb

: to be filled with sounds and especially with echoes
: to fill a space, area, etc., with sounds and especially with echoes
: to repeat (what someone else has said or written)

ECHO Defined for Kids

echo

noun \ ˈe-kō \

plural echoes

: the repetition of a sound caused by the reflection of sound waves

echo

verb

echoed; echoing

1 : to send back or repeat a sound

2 : to repeat another's words

Medical Dictionary

echo

noun \ ˈek-(ˌ)ō \

plural echoes also echos

1 : the repetition of a sound that is caused by reflection of sound waves

2 : the sound that is due to reflection of sound waves

—

echo

verb echoed; echoing play \ˈek-(ˌ)ō-iŋ, ˈek-ə-wiŋ\

echo

abbreviation

echocardiogram; echocardiography

Learn More about echo

See words that rhyme with echo Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for echo Spanish Central: Translation of echo Nglish: Translation of echo for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of echo for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about echo

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echo

echoey

Examples of echo in a Sentence

Recent Examples of echo from the Web

Origin and Etymology of echo

echo Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Physics Terms

echo

Examples of echo in a Sentence

Recent Examples of echo from the Web

First Known Use of echo

echo Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Echo

Origin and Etymology of echo

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

Echo

First Known Use of echo

Other Alphabet Terms

ECHO Defined for English Language Learners

echo

echo

ECHO Defined for Kids

echo

echo

Medical Dictionary

echo

echo

echo

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