echo

noun \ ˈe-(ˌ)kō \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: echo in a Sentence

Definition of echo

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

Yet the issue of how to suitably memorialize a conflict that caused so much pain and suffering echoes in the United States as well.

— joseph zeballos-roig, The New Republic, "How to Dig Up a Dictator," 11 July 2018
Women in threes have an easier time splitting responsibility and echo similar messages from their female colleagues.

— emily cassidy /, NBC News, "In the Know: Women in the news," 6 July 2018
The briny pop of seafood, the earthiness of the nut and the echo of the flavored oils create a complex explosion with each bite.

— michael bauer, SFChronicle.com, "Atelier Crenn: SF’s newest 4-star restaurant," 29 June 2018
The spirits of place are the echoes of people, of events, of ideas which have become imprinted upon a location, for better or for worse.

— Longreads, "The Top 5 Longreads of the Week," 29 June 2018
Some saw in the upset clear echoes of 2014’s Republican primary in Richmond, Virginia.

— philip elliott, Time, "How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Pulled Off the Biggest Upset of 2018," 28 June 2018
There are indeed too many echoes of 2016 in this latest row for his opponents to feel triumphant.

— The Economist, "A blot against America," 23 June 2018
Quiet dignity lost, a Nisei gardener slipped away in the echowith the wind and the light.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "The Poems Of Aaron Caycedo-Kimura: Honoring Ones Parents," 13 June 2018
The three-acre Heather Garden at Fort Tryon Park is a spectacle of shrubs, perennials and bulbs along with heathers and heaths that bring echoes of the Scottish Highlands to the Hudson.

— adrian higgins, sacbee, "Fertilize your creative spirit with these gardening books," 8 June 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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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

Definition of echo

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

That’s a sentiment that Brown echoed in a statement following his signing of the bill, which came together in just a matter of days.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "The Crazy Story Behind Why California Just Banned Soda Taxes," 29 June 2018
Scrolling through his Instagram page, one can see how the attention to detail in the making of the jackets is echoed in some of Glasser’s intricate tattoo designs.

— refinery29.com, "How Brutal Cult Leader Tony Alamo Amassed A Fortune With Bedazzled Denim Jackets," 29 June 2018
The dead are silent, but a legacy of violence and loss can echo for generations.

— matías costa, Smithsonian, "The Battle Over the Memory of the Spanish Civil War," 28 June 2018
Though that's a promise Microsoft has echoed a few times in the years since, thus far Minecraft is the only game on the platform with official support for the PC player's controller of choice.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Xbox One mouse-and-keyboard support could be rolling out soon," 25 June 2018
Some of the researchers’ findings echoed a 2014 study that looked at comments on TED Talks.

— adrianne jeffries, New York Times, "Women Making Science Videos on YouTube Face Hostile Comments," 13 July 2018
Mr Trump’s criticisms echo those of hard-Brexiteers, who complain that keeping close ties to the EU will scupper plans for trade deals with other countries.

— The Economist, "Donald Trump lays into Britain’s Brexit plan," 13 July 2018
Wiley agreed that a few counties have echoed those concerns but said there are other considerations.

— lynn horsley, kansascity, "Getting a new Kansas license plate? To avoid sticker shock, keep track of that decal," 11 July 2018
Avoiding the word 'abolish' His call for replacing ICE with a different agency echoes the sentiments expressed by other Democratic politicians.

— richard ruelas, azcentral, "Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey campaign paints Democrat David Garcia as supporter of #AbolishICE," 11 July 2018

First Known Use of echo

1596

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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echo Synonyms

Echo

noun \ ˈe-(ˌ)kō \

Definition of Echo

: 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

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

elysian, fay, muse, nimbus, phoenix

Echo

communications code word

Definition of Echo

—used as a code word for the letter e

First Known Use of echo

1952

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Alphabet Terms

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

ECHO Defined for English Language Learners

echo

noun

Definition of echo for English Language Learners

: 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

Definition of echo for English Language Learners

: 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 \

Definition of echo for Students

plural echoes

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

echo

verb

Definition of echo for Students

echoed; echoing

1 : to send back or repeat a sound

2 : to repeat another's words

Medical Dictionary

echo

noun \ ˈek-(ˌ)ō \

medical Definition of echo

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

medical Definition of echo

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

Definition of 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

Definition of 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

Definition of Echo

Origin and Etymology of echo

Other Mythology and Folklore Terms

Echo

Definition of Echo

First Known Use of echo

Other Alphabet Terms

ECHO Defined for English Language Learners

echo

Definition of echo for English Language Learners

echo

Definition of echo for English Language Learners

ECHO Defined for Kids

echo

Definition of echo for Students

echo

Definition of echo for Students

Medical Dictionary

echo

medical Definition of echo

echo

echo

medical Definition of echo

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