resonate
Americanverb (used without object)
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resonates,
present (3rd person singular)
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resonated,
past participle, past
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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
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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:
"Nirvana continues to resonate so deeply because people are still hungry for authenticity," bass player Krist Novoselic said after a video retrospective of the band's videos.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
"We're building something bold and new that will resonate globally - and we cannot wait to show the world in 2028."
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
The company last week rebranded as Novo, betting that a shorter name will help it resonate more with consumers as it competes with Eli Lilly, while keeping Novo Nordisk as its legal name globally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Additionally, social media has made it easier for items to go viral, and brands have become more savvy about what might resonate with consumers.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Presently her half-vision began to show her the pale forms that Mary was seeing in her dreams, and she adjusted her mind to resonate with them, as if she were tuning a string.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
When the motion matches the glass's natural frequency, the glass resonates and produces a sound.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
She is a staunch defender of the Scandinavian country's famed welfare state, with an attitude that resonates with many Swedes, regularly topping opinion polls on the country's most trusted politicians.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
His focus on these issues, he says, resonates more with Michigan’s black voters and blue-collar voters than does Mr. El-Sayed’s “socialism and divisiveness.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
The 29-year-old also says he resonates with his character's struggle to be content with life.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Usually when I’m sad, Dad’s deep voice resonates in my chest, soothing my hurt feelings.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Asked which part of Hinojosa’s message resonated the most, Ovalle said it was her comments on education.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
"In Sweden in particular, the Social Democrats have, in a sense, been the party that built society" and this history still resonated with voters, said Suhonen.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
"I think that's probably why I resonated with the story when I read the book," Evans said of the novel the series, which is based the book written by Elizabeth Day.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
“As someone that resonated with futuristic ideals and what the world could be, I really attached to that.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
While the Rivonia Trial still resonated in people’s minds, the government was eager to show the international community that we were being treated properly.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
"I'm so proud that people are resonating with the story, with the performances, the character," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Gap has staged a comeback, thanks in part to celebrity collaborations, trendy products and marketing that is resonating with consumers, The Wall Street Journal’s Suzanne Kapner reports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
“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
So far, the approach appears to be resonating with consumers.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
You don’t need wings because it supports you of its own accord—of its own will resonating with yours—and you feel not only that you can do anything but that you are anything.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
