echo

noun (1)

\ ˈe-(ˌ)kō

plural echoes also echos

Definition of echo

(Entry 1 of 4)

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

b : the sound due to such reflection

2a : 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

5a : 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

echo

verb

echoed; echoing\ ˈe-(ˌ)kō-iŋ ,

ˈe-kə-wiŋ \

Definition of echo (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

1 : to resound with echoes

2 : to produce an echo

transitive verb

1a : 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

Echo

noun (2)

\ ˈe-(ˌ)kō

Definition of Echo (Entry 3 of 4)

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

Echo

communications code word

Definition of Echo (Entry 4 of 4)

—used as a code word for the letter e

Other Words from echo Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about echo

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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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The Channel crossings carry echoes of the wider European migration crisis, which has seen tens of thousands of people from the Middle East and Africa brave the Mediterranean in rickety boats to seek refuge from war or a better life. — Jason Douglas, WSJ, "U.K. Calls in the Navy to Deter Illegal Migrants Crossing the Channel," 3 Jan. 2019 The drastically conflicting statements, delivered to the Senate Judiciary Committee in dramatic testimony that carried echoes of the 1991 Anita Hill hearings, left senators to make a judgment call on whose story is accurate. — Benjamin Brown, Fox News, "Bar Association asks to delay Brett Kavanaugh vote until FBI investigates," 29 Sep. 2018 Such difficulties will not stop the president who, though very different in many ways, carries distinct echoes of Charles de Gaulle. — The Economist, "Emmanuel Macron, the resolutely modern philosopher king," 13 June 2018 What if Trump's reaction to the Roseanne firing was simply an echo of the ABC statement? — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "ABC just took a moral stand on Roseanne. Spoiler alert: Donald Trump won't.," 29 May 2018 In many of the stories Satia tells, there are echoes of today’s debates on gun ownership. — Heather Souvaine Horn, The New Republic, "A System in Denial," 16 Apr. 2018 In 2013, however, Mr. Obama failed to shake hands with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran at the United Nations General Assembly, in a near miss that carried echoes of Mr. Pence’s nonencounter on Friday. — Mark Landler, New York Times, "No Handshakes as Pence Avoids Kim Jong-un’s Sister at Olympics," 9 Feb. 2018 The Trump administration’s complaints about the WTO echo some made by previous administrations, but until last year the U.S. refrained from steps that would effectively cripple the organization. — Emre Peker, WSJ, "EU-Led Group Answers U.S. Complaints on WTO," 12 Dec. 2018 Those egos — the outsized, Hemingway-esque machismo of a certain type of male artist — are the subject at the heart of the film, even more than a changing Hollywood, or the echoes of Welles’ life. — Keith Phipps, The Verge, "Netflix’s Orson Welles revival is strange, fascinating, and frustrating," 1 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

All 20 of us camped atop the ridgeline and watched dawn break as drums echoed through the valley below. — Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, "On Your Next Trip to Nepal, Rent the House Sir Edmund Hillary Loved," 20 Dec. 2018 The entry gleams in golden Christian LaCroix, a menagerie of mystical tarot and playing cards, echoing the nearby vintage metallic dining cabinet. — Jennifer Blaise Kramer, House Beautiful, "How Pops Of Color Transformed These Classic White Rooms," 17 Dec. 2018 Her first statement after the rapper's death also echoed this sentiment. — Sara Delgado, Teen Vogue, "Ariana Grande Released Her Song "Imagine" and Fans Think It's About Mac Miller," 14 Dec. 2018 That's not a perfect analogy for Heroes of the Storm (which is still receiving updates), but probably echoes the long, slow decline the game can expect as Blizzard shifts its focus to its biggest hits. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Blizzard shifts developers away from Heroes of the Storm," 14 Dec. 2018 In a basement of the typically quiet Strawberry Hill neighborhood in Kansas City, Kan., those words could be heard echoing repeatedly from over 200 strong over the course of three hours on Saturday afternoon. — Shaun Goodwin, kansascity, "A small Kansas City bar plays host to generations of Croatian soccer fans," 7 July 2018 Mary’s song is not mistaken and continues quietly to echo throughout history. — Paul Schemm, The Seattle Times, "Read the pope’s letter to the faithful on abuse in the Catholic Church," 20 Aug. 2018 Then, depending on the night, a cavernous old Walmart in South Texas begins to echo with the sound of mischievous migrant children imitating the lows of pent-up cattle. — BostonGlobe.com, "A migrant child’s days in detention included cleaning toilets," 14 July 2018 That manufactured sensation triggered, as always, an echoing fizz in her gut, the combination of nerves and anticipation that came with every new case. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Two unlikely cops are paired up to solve murders in a war-torn Tokyo in Ninth Step Station," 8 Dec. 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.

First Known Use of echo

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

History and Etymology for echo

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

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