reverberation
Americannoun
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a reechoed sound.
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the fact of being reverberated or reflected.
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something that is reverberated.
Reverberations from the explosion were felt within a six-mile radius.
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an act or instance of reverberating.
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Physics. the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped, caused by multiple reflection of the sound within a closed space.
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the act or process of subjecting something to reflected heat, as in a reverberatory furnace.
Etymology
Origin of reverberation
1350–1400; Middle English reverberacioun < Medieval Latin reverberātiōn- (stem of reverberātiō ). See reverberate, -ion
Explanation
A reverberation is an echoing sound. When you bang on a big piece of metal, you can hear the reverberation even after you stop banging. The repeating, often low, booming sound that follows the strum of an electric guitar or the thump of a drumstick on a cymbal is called reverberation. It's frequently described as sound that lingers beyond the original noise. You can also use the word to describe something else that lingers, like a feeling or an effect: "The reverberations of the war lasted for decades." Originally, reverberation was "reflection of light or heat," from the Old French reverberacion, "great flash of light."
Vocabulary lists containing reverberation
1984
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The Waste Land
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Treasure Island
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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.
One in France produces a reverberation, we are told, “comparable to those found in a contemporary symphony hall.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026
“The reverberation explanation also doesn’t account for why it appears that only folks to the southwest of the venue heard it,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2024
"And I think it's really a testament to the power of love. We went through this thing and now we have this beautiful film that will hopefully create a reverberation."
From BBC • Nov. 30, 2023
"When the market takes a focus on one stock, any disappointment could have a reverberation in the market," said Andre Bakhos, managing member at Ingenium Analytics LLC.
From Reuters • Aug. 23, 2023
Val Moren brings the end of his staff down hard against the ground, and I feel the reverberation to my teeth.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
