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.
But of the ample wisdom she imparted, its the power of women’s stories to shift culture, change policy and empower other women that feels most resonant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Even as Parton became world-famous, her life and music remained resonant to women, particularly those of the rural white working class.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
The paper, 'Quantum droplets in a resonant Bose-Fermi mixture', is published in Physical Review Letters.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
The end result is a film that’s an emotionally resonant look inside an artist’s brain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
On the mundane, factual level, though, this resonant tale is wrong: Nature has always used fire as a mallet to beat landscapes into other forms.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
