reverberate

verb

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

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for reverberate

Synonyms: Verb

echo, reecho, resonate, resound, sound

Did You Know?

Verb

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

The ensuing uproar gave rise to days of protest concerts and a new rallying cry reverberating around the District: #DontMuteDC. — Marissa J. Lang, Washington Post, "D.C. Council bill would make go-go music the ‘official music of the District’," 4 June 2019 The news of the Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks owner’s death quickly reverberated across social media — far beyond the reaches of Seattle. — Sean Quinton, The Seattle Times, "‘A pioneer. A visionary. A good man’: The world reacts to death of Seattle business and sports mogul Paul Allen," 15 Oct. 2018 The news quickly reverberated on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are set to grill Zuckerberg at hearings next week. — Anchorage Daily News, "Facebook hackers likely hit most users," 5 Apr. 2018 The news quickly reverberated on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are set to grill Zuckerberg at a series of hearings next week. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "Personal data of nearly 2 billion users collected and shared with outsiders, Facebook says," 4 Apr. 2018 News of the purge reverberated across boardrooms, financial markets, and world capitals as bankers, analysts, and diplomats sought to assess its impact on the biggest Arab economy. — Alaa Shahine, Bloomberg.com, "Saudi Arabia Struck Gold With Corruption Crackdown," 25 Jan. 2018 While farmers rush to plant between rainstorms, time is growing short for agricultural companies to sell some of their most profitable products, as the weather woes reverberate across supply chains. — Paul Page, WSJ, "Today’s Logistics Report: Freight’s Lower Gear; Warehousing’s Big Buy; Farming Under Water," 24 May 2019 The perturbation, in turn, excited and inhibited the neurons' partner cells in connected regions, in a chain reverberating across the cortex, until the activity died out. — Christof Koch, Scientific American, "What Is Consciousness?," 8 May 2018 Thunderous explosions reverberated across Damascus as the dawn call to prayer sounded Saturday. — Alexandra Zavis, latimes.com, "In Syria's capital, U.S. strikes packed a jolt but didn't shake government's resolve," 14 Apr. 2018

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.