reverberate

verb

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re·ver·ber·ate | \ ri-ˈvər-bə-ˌrāt

reverberated; reverberating

Definition of reverberate

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : reflect

2 : repel

3 : echo

intransitive verb

1a : to become driven back

b : to become reflected

2 : to continue in or as if in a series of echoes : resound a historic event that still reverberates today

reverberate

adjective

re·ver·ber·ate | \ ri-ˈvər-b(ə-)rət

Definition of reverberate (Entry 2 of 2)

: reverberant

Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About reverberate

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.

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 Whether Biden’s trip will reverberate with Latino voters the Democrats are struggling to hold onto in the midterm elections remains to be seen. — Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 18 May 2022 Chiney Ogwumike does means, and will reverberate in the years to come. — Howard Megdal, Forbes, 6 May 2022 Those steps would deal a serious blow to Moscow's oil exports that could reverberate far beyond Europe. — Democrat-gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 5 May 2022 The consequences of that day continue to reverberate. — Taylor Romine And Michelle Watson, CNN, 4 May 2022 Palen has worked with a team of researchers to study how Trump used Twitter and track the way his tweets would reverberate and touch nearly every way information was consumed on the Internet. — Brian Bennett, Time, 26 Apr. 2022 Even after the election is over, the deep fissures laid bare by the campaign will continue to reverberate outside France’s borders. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2022 Echoes of Clark’s death continue to reverberate through Sacramento, and they were heard this week as residents struggled to understand why gun violence continues to plague an otherwise quiet city. — NBC News, 8 Apr. 2022 Policymakers are also concerned that the turmoil could reverberate more broadly. — Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 18 Apr. 2022 See More

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