resonate
Americanverb (used without object)
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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)
verb
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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
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had resonatedperfect
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was resonatingprogressive
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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:
“The dream for a fictional character is to be able to resonate across generations for generations,” said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Stories like Jang's and Oh's resonate deeply in South Korea, where gruelling work hours are no anomaly.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The fibers are engineered to a length that enables them to resonate, producing a return that confuses enemy radar or tricks radar-guided missiles into locking onto the wrong target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Why does her work still resonate with you today?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
I lay my angry head on his chest under his red beard and listen to his voice resonate.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
"I think this one really hits home. We are seeing the world heat up so, yeah, it really resonates in today's world," he told Lucy Owen on BBC Radio Wales.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
This boundary-crossing may help explain why the phenomenon resonates so strongly at this cultural moment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
With her movies and her music, it’s all relatable and it resonates with you, the lyrics, the storyline and even her new album that just came out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
“That resonates with a lot of Iraqi Shias who feel a shared history with Iran.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Bibi’s voice resonates: “To know yourself, you need to journey, Adaugo. Remember what’s forgotten.”
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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
The students' protest has resonated with a large section of middle-class India, cutting across identities of religion, caste or sectors, with people voicing anger about the lack of educational opportunities and jobs in India.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Hamawy “did not shy away from that, and it resonated with the people.”
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
I think a lot of us feel like we grew up with Hilary, so all of her music resonated with us then, and now, now that we’re older, through relationships or divorces or motherhood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
She had no mythology that resonated beyond the hero origin story.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
“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
On Tuesday night, Shaw sounded hopeful and confident that her campaign themes were resonating beyond her conservative roots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Newer items, like looser pants designed for travel and new leggings designs, were resonating with consumers, he noted.
From MarketWatch ● May 31, 2026
“Our results demonstrate that our approach is resonating as we attract new customers and expand with our existing customers, and we see ample runway for long-term growth.”
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
The resonating voice on Radio Biafra filled the room.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
