reverberate

1 of 2

verb

re·​ver·​ber·​ate ri-ˈvər-bə-ˌrāt 

reverberated; reverberating

transitive verb

1

: reflect

2

: repel

a mirror reverberating glaring light

3

: echo

intransitive verb

1

a

: to become driven back

b

: to become reflected

2

: to continue in or as if in a series of echoes : resound

The room reverberated with laughter.

a historic event that still reverberates today

reverberate

2 of 2

adjective

re·​ver·​ber·​ate ri-ˈvər-b(ə-)rət 

: reverberant

Did you know?

The letter sequence "v-e-r-b" in reverberate might make you think at first of such word-related brethren as proverb, verbal, and verbose, all of which derive from the Latin noun verbum, meaning "word." In fact, reverberate comes from a much different source: the Latin verb verberare, meaning "to whip, beat, or lash," which is related to the noun verber, meaning "rod." Reverberate entered the English language in the 15th century, and one of its early meanings was "to beat, drive, or cast back." By the early 1600s, it began to appear in contexts associated with sound that repeats or returns the way an echo does.

Synonyms of reverberate

Verb

• echo

Examples of reverberate in a Sentence

Verb

the sound of thunder reverberated from one end of the mountain pass to the other

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Over 80 million people live in the Danube basin, but the river’s low water levels will reverberate even further. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026

The violent beating of his heart reverberated in his head— seemed to shake his brain to pieces. — Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalizations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. — Jaimie Ding, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

That's why hikes in bond yields can reverberate across the economy. — Rafael Nam, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin reverberatus, past participle of reverberare, from re- + verberare to lash, from verber rod — more at vervain

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

1603, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

reverberate

verb

re·​ver·​ber·​ate

ri-ˈvər-bə-ˌrāt

reverberated; reverberating

: to continue in or as if in a series of echoes

reverberation

-ˌvər-bə-ˈrā-shən

noun