resonant
Americanadjective
-
resounding or echoing, as sounds.
the resonant thundering of cannons being fired.
-
deep and full of resonance.
a resonant voice.
- Synonyms:
- reverberant, sonorant, vibrant, rich
-
pertaining to resonance.
-
producing resonance; causing amplification or sustention of sound.
-
pertaining to a system in a state of resonance, especially with respect to sound.
noun
adjective
-
(of sound) resounding or re-echoing
-
producing or enhancing resonance, as by sympathetic vibration
-
characterized by resonance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of resonant
1585–95; < Latin resonant- (stem of resonāns ), present participle of resonāre to resound; see -ant
Explanation
Resonant describes sound that is deep and rich. It also can mean deeply evocative. A resonant speech moves you by bringing to mind all that is good in the world: family, friends, laughter. Resonant comes from the Latin re, meaning again, and sonare, meaning to sound––or literally to sound again or echo. So resonant's meanings all have that sense of reverberating or echoing. Not only does it mean echoing or evoking meaning, but it also refers to sound that echoes through a room. Don't confuse the spellings of resonant (the adjective) and resonate (the verb).
Vocabulary lists containing resonant
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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.
The findings were published in Physical Review Letters in a paper titled "Resonant magnetophonon emission by supersonic electrons in ultrahigh-mobility two-dimensional systems," by Michael Hilke et al.
From Science Daily • Jul. 2, 2026
During the ceremony in Los Angeles, players also got their first glimpses of two new Tomb Raider games, sequel Control Resonant and a new Star Wars role-playing game.
From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025
One of them, for example, is a brief 2016 article from the Austin Journal of Autism and Related Disabilities titled “The Potential of Magnetic Resonant Therapy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2024
A company he co-founded, Resonant, aims to launch the test early next year.
From Science Magazine • Dec. 12, 2023
Resonant and inevitable, like the dull toll of an iron bell, confident in the ability of its peal to reach all those who needed reaching.
From "Scythe" 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.
