sonorous

adjective

so·​no·​rous ˈsä-nə-rəs How to pronounce sonorous (audio) sə-ˈnȯr-əs How to pronounce sonorous (audio)
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

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 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sonorous was in 1611

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.

Kids Definition

sonorous

adjective
so·​no·​rous sə-ˈnōr-əs How to pronounce sonorous (audio) -ˈnȯr- How to pronounce sonorous (audio)
ˈsän-ə-rəs
1
: producing sound (as when struck)
2
: full or loud in sound : resonant
sonorously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on sonorous

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