reverberate

1 of 2

verb

re·​ver·​ber·​ate ri-ˈvər-bə-ˌrāt How to pronounce reverberate (audio)
reverberated; reverberating
Synonyms of reverberatenext

transitive verb

1
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 How to pronounce reverberate (audio)

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

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
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Verb
Those were some of the last words that reverberated through Friendship Missionary Baptist Church Thursday night after the abrupt end of Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham’s town hall meeting. Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2026 However, the grievances and demands expressed by protesters, including calls for an end to the Islamic Republic, continue to reverberate throughout the country. Hamid Kashani, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026 The fallout for those linked to Epstein continues to reverberate nationally and globally. Uwa Ede-Osifo, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026 The Blackhawks dressing room was a rowdy scene after the game, their hoots and hollers reverberating throughout the bowels of the United Center. Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reverberate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of reverberate was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Reverberate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverberate. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.

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

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