resonate
Americanverb (used without object)
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resonates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resonated,
past participle, past
-
resonating
present participle
-
to resound.
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Electronics. to reinforce oscillations because the natural frequency of the device is the same as the frequency of the source.
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to amplify vocal sound by the sympathetic vibration of air in certain cavities and bony structures.
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to produce a positive feeling, emotional response, or opinion.
an issue that clearly resonates with members of our community; a poem that resonates for me.
verb (used with object)
-
resonates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resonated,
past participle, past
-
resonating
present participle
verb
-
to resound or cause to resound; reverberate
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(of a mechanical system, electrical circuit, chemical compound, etc) to exhibit or cause to exhibit resonance
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to be understood or receive a sympathetic response
themes which will resonate with voters
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to be filled with
simple words that seem to resonate with mystery and beauty
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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resonatesimple
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resonatessimple
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have resonatedperfect
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has resonatedperfect
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am resonatingprogressive
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are resonatingprogressive
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is resonatingprogressive
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have been resonatingperfect progressive
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has been resonatingperfect progressive
Past
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resonatedsimple
-
had resonatedperfect
-
was resonatingprogressive
-
were resonatingprogressive
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had been resonatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of resonate
First recorded in 1870–75; from Latin resonātus “sounded again,” past participle of resonāre “to sound again”; see resound
Explanation
To resonate is to make, hear, or even understand a deep, full sound. Your speech about the dangers of scarves and convertibles will resonate with your audience if you tell the story of Isadora Duncan's death. The verb resonate, which comes from the Latin resonatum, first referred only to sound, but has now developed an emotional connotation. Resonate sounds a whole lot like another verb, resound, but they have subtly different meanings. Resound means “to repeat the sound,” but resonate means “to expand, amplify.” Sound can resonate when broadcast through speakers, and so can an idea or feeling, when expressed articulately or with passion.
Vocabulary lists containing resonate
A Long Way Gone
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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This Week in Words: September 17 - 24, 2017
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Walmart said the benefits were showing up most clearly in food and other staples, and that certain cuts might remain if they continued to resonate with shoppers.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it isn’t what made “Chef’s Table” resonate in the first place.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
He hopes the early ’80s nostalgia will resonate not just for those who experienced it firsthand, but for young people now who romanticize a smartphone-free existence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
But her talent for finding stories that resonate and ignite has increasingly drawn her into some of publishing’s most contentious debates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Such scenarios resonate with contemporary ecological fears, helping to make them popular outside the academy.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
It’s a theme that resonates intimately for the show’s producers and creative team, many of whom were around Ellis’ age in the early ’80s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
This boundary-crossing may help explain why the phenomenon resonates so strongly at this cultural moment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
“That resonates with a lot of Iraqi Shias who feel a shared history with Iran.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
"The way younger generations engage with religion is changing... We've tried to meet them where they are and communicate in a way that resonates with them."
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
In a constant rhythm so loud it resonates in my skull.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
The message resonated with almost half of voters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
The way Ted, played by Jason Sudeikis, lifts others up resonated with me immediately.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
It leaned on new products like novelty sugary drinks and limited-offer items like S’mores beverages that resonated “particularly well” with Gen Z customers, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
BTS's Love Yourself album trilogy's focus on acceptance and healing - and the group leader RM's plea to "use us, use BTS to love yourself"- resonated with millions around the world, and with Yeon-su.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
She had not moved, and consequently she was obliged to raise her voice slightly in addressing me, so that it resonated rather oddly in the cavernous spaces of the dark and empty kitchen.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
“But hey, whatever’s resonating, whatever brings a little bit of joy. Whatever brings a little bit of that stick it to ’em,” she said, doing the thing.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Other perks are resonating, as well, with the Amex customer base.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
“We are right now not rolling out the welcome mat, we are putting up all sorts of signs saying stay away, and that’s what is resonating with fans and players,” said Bruen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
His message -- like Hilton's in the gubernatoral -- is public safety and tough-on-crime, and is resonating, even with some traditional Democrats.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
It was infecting every corner, spreading in all directions, resonating from wall to wall.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
