resonate

verb

res·​o·​nate ˈre-zə-ˌnāt 

resonated; resonating; resonates

intransitive verb

1

: to produce or exhibit resonance

especially : to produce a loud, clear, deep, and continuous sound

The siren resonated throughout the city.

A person's voice … is made by sound resonating in the mouth and nose …

—Ken Carlson

2

: to respond as if by resonance

resonate to the music

also : to have a repetitive pattern that resembles resonance

3

: to have particular meaning or importance : to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way

a message that resonates with voters

Her stories of grit and hard work resonate in this part of the country.

—Molly Longman

transitive verb

: to subject to resonating

Did you know?

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”).

Synonyms of resonate

• echo
• reverberate

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 on the Web

In consumer, that same person is at a disadvantage against a buyer who understands why a particular product resonates with a particular demographic and whether that resonance is durable. — Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Last week, for instance, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’ campaign arm argued that Nevada’s large Latino population would ensure candidates have a message that resonates across battleground states. — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 23 July 2026

What began as a few videos documenting her preparations and one final update before boarding quickly resonated with people who saw something familiar in her willingness to start over. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026

Readers cast 661,000 votes this year for their favorite cities, airlines, hotels and more, with editors describing the rankings as a snapshot of places resonating with travelers today. — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for resonate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

resonate

verb

res·​o·​nate ˈrez-ᵊn-ˌāt 

resonated; resonating

1

: to produce or exhibit resonance

2

a

: to respond as if by resonance

resonate to the music

b

: to strike a chord

a message that resonates with voters