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
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
: a nymph in Greek mythology who pines away for love of Narcissus until nothing is left of her but her voice
Echo
4 of 4communications code word
—used as a code word for the letter e
Synonyms
Examples of echo in a Sentence
Noun (1)
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.
Verb
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Thom Duffy, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2023
Expect some echoes of Frozen in the film, which was co-written by Jennifer Lee (working with Allison Moore) and co-directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.
—Keith Phipps, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Damian here with news of a 2021-sized biotech round that has echoes of 2011, plus an ESMO recap and a curious stock move.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 24 Oct. 2023
The echoes of that assault can be heard in the debate over how Israel should respond to the Oct. 7 slaughter of some 1,400 innocents on its soil, including at least 31 Americans.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2023
The echoes of history reverberate loudly, revealing the power of historical trauma to shape behavior in the present day.
—Anna Deavere Smith, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2023
In context, this disjunction seemed like a feature—an echo of the subject matter—rather than like a malfunction.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
These echoes drifted back to the rear in confused waves.
—Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023
Many fear that Israel could seek to force significant numbers of Palestinians out of Gaza, even if this is viewed as a violation of international law and an alarming echo of the Arab displacement that followed the 1948 war that established Israel.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023
Separate research from ThredUp, an online thrift store and resale platform, echoed that about 30% of Gen Z shoppers are buying secondhand items specifically to afford higher-end brands.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2023
The trees that once shaded the property and echoed with bird calls now stood in eerie silence, their limbs charred and skeletal.
—Priscella Vega, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023
That a pause was welcome, but not enough, was echoed by major relief organizations Wednesday.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Nearly 200 years later, Butterick’s goals echo this wish.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023
A day later, Musk echoed Miller’s sentence in a post about Texas’ investigating Media Matters.
—Ben Goggin, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2023
The Munhwa Ilbo appears to echo this line of thinking.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023
But his successor as CEO, Raj Subramaniam, will be there and is expected to echo his mentor’s longstanding argument that more trade drives economic growth, creates wealth and spreads peace.
—Thomas Black, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
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Noun
In 1970, Garland made his recording debut as part of the group Grinder’s Switch, with its musical echoes of The Band.
—Thom Duffy, Billboard, 9 Nov. 2023
Expect some echoes of Frozen in the film, which was co-written by Jennifer Lee (working with Allison Moore) and co-directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.
—Keith Phipps, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Damian here with news of a 2021-sized biotech round that has echoes of 2011, plus an ESMO recap and a curious stock move.
—Damian Garde, STAT, 24 Oct. 2023
The echoes of that assault can be heard in the debate over how Israel should respond to the Oct. 7 slaughter of some 1,400 innocents on its soil, including at least 31 Americans.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 22 Oct. 2023
The echoes of history reverberate loudly, revealing the power of historical trauma to shape behavior in the present day.
—Anna Deavere Smith, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2023
In context, this disjunction seemed like a feature—an echo of the subject matter—rather than like a malfunction.
—Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
These echoes drifted back to the rear in confused waves.
—Rory Feehan, SPIN, 9 Nov. 2023
Many fear that Israel could seek to force significant numbers of Palestinians out of Gaza, even if this is viewed as a violation of international law and an alarming echo of the Arab displacement that followed the 1948 war that established Israel.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
Verb
The concerns of the teachers, who filed an unfair labor practice charge against their employer California Virtual Academies (CAVA) this month, echo more wide-ranging questions about CAVA’s finances and use of public dollars that have dogged the network for more than a decade.
—Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023
Separate research from ThredUp, an online thrift store and resale platform, echoed that about 30% of Gen Z shoppers are buying secondhand items specifically to afford higher-end brands.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 24 Nov. 2023
The trees that once shaded the property and echoed with bird calls now stood in eerie silence, their limbs charred and skeletal.
—Priscella Vega, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2023
That a pause was welcome, but not enough, was echoed by major relief organizations Wednesday.
—Louisa Loveluck, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
Nearly 200 years later, Butterick’s goals echo this wish.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023
A day later, Musk echoed Miller’s sentence in a post about Texas’ investigating Media Matters.
—Ben Goggin, NBC News, 22 Nov. 2023
The Munhwa Ilbo appears to echo this line of thinking.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023
But his successor as CEO, Raj Subramaniam, will be there and is expected to echo his mentor’s longstanding argument that more trade drives economic growth, creates wealth and spreads peace.
—Thomas Black, Fortune, 15 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'echo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English ecco, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French echo, from Latin, from Greek ēchō; akin to Latin vagire to wail, Greek ēchē sound
Noun (2)
Greek Ēchō
First Known Use
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1596, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1
Noun (2)
1595, in the meaning defined above
Communications Code Word
1952, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of echo was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing echo
Dictionary Entries Near echo
Cite this Entry
“Echo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/echo. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
echo
1 of 2 noun
plural echoes
1
: the repeating of a sound caused by reflection of sound waves
2
a
: a repetition or imitation of another
b
: repercussion sense 2, result
environmental echoes of oil spills
3
: one who closely imitates or repeats another
echoic
adjective
i-ˈkō-ik
e-
echo
2 of 2 verb
echoed; echoing
1
: to be filled with echoes
the stadium echoed with cheers
2
: to produce an echo : send back or repeat a sound
shouts echoing off the wall
3
a
: repeat entry 1 sense 1c, imitate
echoing the teacher's words
b
: to state again in support or agreement
echoed his opinion
Medical Definition
echo
1 of 2 noun
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
2 of 2 abbreviation
More from Merriam-Webster on 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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