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

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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

An escalation in violence could reverberate far beyond the former Belgian colony. — Gabriele Steinhauser, WSJ, "Surprise Winner Declared in Congo Presidential Election," 9 Jan. 2019 The decision to lower the threshold first for lower-court nominees and then the Supreme Court will reverberate for many years to come. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump attacks Kavanaugh accuser," 25 Sep. 2018 Belcalis Almanzar is here to stay because Invasion of Privacy is sonically engaging and stuffed with one-liners that will surely reverberate throughout conversation for some time. — Andreas Hale, Billboard, "5 Things We Discovered From Cardi B's 'Invasion of Privacy'," 6 Apr. 2018 The peace process is already reverberating beyond the affected nations. — Nicholas Bariyo, WSJ, "Ethiopia, Eritrea Reopen Border Crossings," 11 Sep. 2018 The idea that one woman’s actions can reverberate across generations? — Celeste Ng, Glamour, "Celeste Ng Reflects on Our Era of Rage—and Illuminates the Path Forward.," 21 Dec. 2018 The worry is that weakening past that mark could reverberate among Chinese residents and companies, leading them to send money offshore. — Mike Bird, WSJ, "Beijing Struggles to Keep Its Currency On Course," 9 Oct. 2018 Trump listened intently as raw emotions reverberated at the White House. — Catherine Lucey And Matthew Daly, BostonGlobe.com, "At listening session with Trump, some victims of gun violence push school security," 21 Feb. 2018 Rendell’s announcement reverberated around the Capitol, where everyone from his biggest supporters to his former rivals paused to recall their best Rendell story and wish him well. — Marie Mccullough, Philly.com, "Former Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell announces he has Parkinson's disease," 18 June 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.