sonorous
adjective
so·no·rous
ˈsä-nə-rəs 
sə-ˈnȯr-əs
sə-ˈnȯr-əs
1
: producing sound (as when struck)
2
: full or loud in sound
a sonorous voice
3
: imposing or impressive in effect or style
4
phonetics
: having a high or an indicated degree of sonority
sonorous sounds such as \ä\ and \ȯ\
sonorously
adverb
sonorousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of sonorous in a Sentence
He has a deep, sonorous voice.
a sonorous waterfall that can be heard from a considerable distance
Recent Examples on the Web
Across 92 tracks, the sonorous amphibians strike up all manner of din: chirps, croaks, barks, chirrups, beeps, honks, buzzes, squawks, blips, whines, and grunts.
—
Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2023
Carnegie Hall’s calendar is particularly plentiful this winter: Daniel Barenboim, having stepped down from the Berlin State Opera earlier this year, conducts the city’s resident ensemble, the Staatskapelle Berlin, in a sonorous cycle of Brahms symphonies (Nov. 30-Dec. 1).
—Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, Joseph Keenan, the American chief prosecutor, was prone to sonorous absurdities.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the sonorous Brexiteer who served, briefly, as Truss’s Business Secretary, said that his constituents did not want to be poor and cold.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2023
The sound of his voice — calm, baritone, sonorous — shocks Marie, who immediately faints.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2023
This one is all contrasts, with the wine’s wild-yeast edge, energetic juiciness, and savage acidity countering the sonorous richness of the pasta like a DJ mashing up Cardi B and Luther Vandross.
—Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2023
Gregory Richardson, the sonorous standing bass player, contributes his composition and leads the last section.
—Catherine Tharin, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023
But an encounter on the road with a couple of hooligans leads instead to a courtroom in Detroit, where Raylan gives testimony and Willa is chastised by tetchy Judge Alvin Guy (Keith David, sonorous as always) for laughing at cat videos on her phone.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2023
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Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2023
Carnegie Hall’s calendar is particularly plentiful this winter: Daniel Barenboim, having stepped down from the Berlin State Opera earlier this year, conducts the city’s resident ensemble, the Staatskapelle Berlin, in a sonorous cycle of Brahms symphonies (Nov. 30-Dec. 1).
—Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, Joseph Keenan, the American chief prosecutor, was prone to sonorous absurdities.
—Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the sonorous Brexiteer who served, briefly, as Truss’s Business Secretary, said that his constituents did not want to be poor and cold.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2023
The sound of his voice — calm, baritone, sonorous — shocks Marie, who immediately faints.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2023
This one is all contrasts, with the wine’s wild-yeast edge, energetic juiciness, and savage acidity countering the sonorous richness of the pasta like a DJ mashing up Cardi B and Luther Vandross.
—Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2023
Gregory Richardson, the sonorous standing bass player, contributes his composition and leads the last section.
—Catherine Tharin, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023
But an encounter on the road with a couple of hooligans leads instead to a courtroom in Detroit, where Raylan gives testimony and Willa is chastised by tetchy Judge Alvin Guy (Keith David, sonorous as always) for laughing at cat videos on her phone.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 17 July 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sonorous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin sonorus; akin to Latin sonus sound
First Known Use
1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near sonorous
Cite this Entry
“Sonorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sonorous. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
sonorous
adjective
so·no·rous
sə-ˈnōr-əs
-ˈnȯr-
-ˈnȯr-
ˈsän-ə-rəs
1
: producing sound (as when struck)
2
: full or loud in sound : resonant
sonorously
adverb
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