resonate
Americanverb (used without object)
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resonates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
resonated,
past participle, past
-
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
-
(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
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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:
And that’s what will resonate with you if you are an OG.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
But this year may also illuminate broader forces that continue to resonate long after votes are counted.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
I definitely try my best to resonate with some positive energy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“What’s been exciting is seeing it resonate well beyond the athletes we initially imagined wearing it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
‘Mother Gaia ..His voice was impossibly deep, shaking the ruins, making the metal scaffold resonate under Piper’s feet. ‘In ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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
One of the self-inflicted challenges for AI creators is that the tech community has framed much of the public conversation, intentionally or not, in language that resonates with the Christian community.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 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
When the motion matches the glass's natural frequency, the glass resonates and produces a sound.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Lev has this way of talking about these things—stars, futures—it resonates within me like music.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
“The more I thought about him as a ‘confidence man’ in all of the meanings of that term, what Justine said really resonated with me,” Gibney says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
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
The scandal resonated with students and middle-class families, cutting across religious and caste lines.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
When he spoke, his voice resonated as if he were using a microphone.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
How are they communicating their work, their vision and is it resonating with me?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
"I'm so proud that people are resonating with the story, with the performances, the character," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
“And those prices are resonating with customers and we’re seeing it in traffic, ticket and unit volume all growing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 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 were too far away to hear their hoofbeats, but as they surged down the track, I thought I could feel the resounding force resonating through my bones.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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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.
