resonate

verb res·o·nate \ ˈre-zə-ˌnāt \

Definition of resonate

resonated; resonating

intransitive verb

1 :to produce or exhibit resonance

2 :to respond as if by resonance

resonate to the music

; also :to have a repetitive pattern that resembles resonance

3 :to relate harmoniously :strike a chord

a message that resonates with voters

transitive verb

:to subject to resonating

See resonate defined for English-language learners

See resonate defined for kids

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 of resonate from the Web

Griffin fears the impact of what happened to her will resonate further.

— yashar ali, The Cut, "Off With Her Head," 27 Aug. 2017
So how this becomes attractive to people, how this resonates with their values—

— conor friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "Scott Adams's Nihilistic Defense of Donald Trump," 21 Aug. 2017
But, perhaps unsurprisingly, a timepiece has always been the one accessory that authentically resonates with me.

— zachary prell, Town & Country, "Zachary Prell on His Love Affair with Luxury Watches," 17 Aug. 2017
However these comments resonate with Black and Brown people in a uniquely troubling way.

— sean mesidor, Essence.com, "These Police Departments Condemned Trump's Pro-Police Brutality Speech, But What Happened To Action?," 31 July 2017
The more than century-old icon once resonated with traditional music and classic period dramas, but has been largely forgotten for nearly two decades, according to a group that hopes to return music and drama to the Old Opera House stage.

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Save the 1912 Old Opera House; own a piece of Idaho history," 27 July 2017
The 2014 snub of TCU and/or Baylor from the playoff still resonates.

— blair kerkhoff, kansascity, "For Big 12 football title hopes, both results and perception matter," 17 July 2017
Identifying the person who can cut through the noise and make an argument that resonates can reveal where a debate is headed and who might win key support.

— libby casey, Washington Post, "Who spun it best? Donald Trump Jr. edition.," 13 July 2017
But in this election year in Germany, Ms. Merkel’s decision to put Beethoven at the center of the conference may also resonate with some of her own voters.

— corinna da fonseca-wollheim, New York Times, "At G-20, Beethoven Sends a Mixed Message to Trump," 9 July 2017

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

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”).

First Known Use of resonate

1873

resonate Synonyms

Synonyms

echo, reecho, reverberate, resound, sound

Related Words

ring, roll

Near Antonyms

damp, dampen, deaden, dull, quiet

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

RESONATE Defined for English Language Learners

resonate

verb

Definition of resonate for English Language Learners

: to continue to produce a loud, clear, deep sound for a long time
: to have particular meaning or importance for someone : to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way

Learn More about resonate

See words that rhyme with resonate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for resonate Nglish: Translation of resonate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of resonate for Arabic speakers

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resonate

Definition of resonate

Examples of resonate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of resonate from the Web

resonate vs. reverberate

First Known Use of resonate

resonate Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Music Terms

RESONATE Defined for English Language Learners

resonate

Definition of resonate for English Language Learners

Learn More about resonate

Seen and Heard

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resonate

Definition of resonate

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Examples of resonate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of resonate from the Web

resonate vs. reverberate

First Known Use of resonate

resonate Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Music Terms

RESONATE Defined for English Language Learners

resonate

Definition of resonate for English Language Learners

Learn More about resonate

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