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
-
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
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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 stories, the friendships and the memories of the togetherness I remember from every dressing room during that time still resonate with me and recreating them was always my aim as a manager.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
“However, the negative experience Kelly described on twitter would resonate with anyone who has ever felt judged in a shop.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Joe has built something incredibly enduring, and his show continues to resonate with a massive global audience because there’s simply nothing else like it,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
And that’s what will resonate with you if you are an OG.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
As it increases its pace, the sea itself seems to resonate with its movement, beginning to revolve in a slow eddy, but quickly picking up speed.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
“Just because a comedian has millions of followers on one platform or millions of views on another platform doesn’t necessarily mean it resonates with our audience,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Guardiola's tiki-taka Barcelona built around La Masia graduates Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and, of course, Lionel Messi still resonates more than a decade since he left.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Whether the no-tradeoffs, no-turmoil theme resonates remains to be seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Now, the Bowdoin College student is campaigning for Collins, explaining in Brunswick after his early morning football practice that her pitch as an independent voice for the state resonates with him.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
In a constant rhythm so loud it resonates in my skull.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
“That’s a really strong message that has resonated with our fans.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
So when The Cut writer Kathleen Walsh published an essay recently about feeling like she should be able to cold call her friends, it resonated with me deeply.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
“These enhancements resulted in sharper pricing that resonated well with our customers and supported our sales,” he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 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
Suddenly, from within the fogginess of my mind, something resonated.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
How are they communicating their work, their vision and is it resonating with me?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
This seems to be resonating deeply with young people looking for answers.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Investors see Oracle’s fate as heavily tied to OpenAI’s, so it’s good news that the latest ChatGPT model seems to be resonating with users and technology experts.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 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
“We need to leave—” Too late, said a sleepy voice, humming through the fields all around them and resonating in the ground at Piper’s feet.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
