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• echo
  echo

  noun

  a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.
• Echo
  Echo

  noun

  Greek myth a nymph who, spurned by Narcissus, pined away until only her voice remained

echo

American  

[ek-oh] / ˈɛk oʊ /

noun

• echoes
  plural

1. a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of sound waves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface.

2. a sound heard again near its source after being reflected.

3. any repetition or close imitation, as of the ideas or opinions of another.

4. a person who reflects or imitates another.

5. a sympathetic or identical response, as to sentiments expressed.

6. a lingering trace or effect.

7. (initial capital letter) a mountain nymph who pined away for love of the beautiful youth Narcissus until only her voice remained.

8. Cards. the play of a high card and then a low card in the suit led by one's partner as a signal to continue leading the suit, as in bridge, or to lead a trump, as in whist.

9. Electronics. the reflection of a radio wave, as in radar or the like.

10. (initial capital letter) one of an early series of inflatable passive communications satellites.

11. a word used in communications to represent the letter E.

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verb (used without object)

• echoes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• echoed,
  past participle,  past
• echoing
  present participle

1. to emit an echo; resound with an echo.

   The hall echoed with cheers.

   Synonyms:

   reverberate, ring

2. to be repeated by or as by an echo.

   Shouts echoed through the street.

   Synonyms:

   reverberate, ring

verb (used with object)

• echoes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• echoed,
  past participle,  past
• echoing
  present participle

1. to repeat by or as by an echo; emit an echo of.

   The hall echoes the faintest sounds.

2. to repeat or imitate the words, sentiments, etc., of (a person).

3. to repeat or imitate (words, sentiments, etc.).

Echo ¹ British  

/ ˈɛkəʊ /

noun

1. Greek myth a nymph who, spurned by Narcissus, pined away until only her voice remained

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Echo ² British  

/ ˈɛkəʊ /

noun

1. communications code word for the letter e

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echo ³ British  

/ ˈɛkəʊ /

noun

1. 1. the reflection of sound or other radiation by a reflecting medium, esp a solid object

   2. the sound so reflected

2. a repetition or imitation, esp an unoriginal reproduction of another's opinions

3. something that evokes memories, esp of a particular style or era

4. (sometimes plural) an effect that continues after the original cause has disappeared; repercussion

   the echoes of the French Revolution

5. a person who copies another, esp one who obsequiously agrees with another's opinions

6. 1. the signal reflected by a radar target

   2. the trace produced by such a signal on a radar screen

7. the repetition of certain sounds or syllables in a verse line

8. the quiet repetition of a musical phrase

9. Also called: echo organ.   echo stop.  a manual or stop on an organ that controls a set of quiet pipes that give the illusion of sounding at a distance

10. an electronic effect in recorded music that adds vibration or resonance

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verb

1. to resound or cause to resound with an echo

   the cave echoed their shouts

2. (intr) (of sounds) to repeat or resound by echoes; reverberate

3. (tr) (of persons) to repeat (words, opinions, etc), in imitation, agreement, or flattery

4. (tr) (of things) to resemble or imitate (another style, earlier model, etc)

5. (tr) (of a computer) to display (a character) on the screen of a visual display unit as a response to receiving that character from a keyboard entry

Echo ⁴ British  

/ ˈɛkəʊ /

noun

1. either of two US passive communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1960

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echo Scientific  

/ ĕk′ō /

1. A repeated sound that is caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface. The sound is heard more than once because of the time difference between the initial production of the sound waves and their return from the reflecting surface.

2. A wave that carries a signal and is reflected. Echoes of radio signals (carried by electromagnetic waves) are used in radar to detect the location or velocity of distant objects.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• echoer
  noun
• subecho
  noun
• outecho
  verb (used with object)
• echo-like
  adjective
• echoing
  adjective
• echoless
  adjective
• unechoed
  adjective
• unechoing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• echoes
  plural

Participles

• echoing
  present
• echoed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• echo
  simple
• echoes
  simple
• have echoed
  perfect
• has echoed
  perfect
• am echoing
  progressive
• are echoing
  progressive
• is echoing
  progressive
• have been echoing
  perfect progressive
• has been echoing
  perfect progressive

Past

• echoed
  simple
• had echoed
  perfect
• was echoing
  progressive
• were echoing
  progressive
• had been echoing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will echo
  simple
• will have echoed
  perfect
• will be echoing
  progressive
• will have been echoing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of echo

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ecco, from Latin ēchō, from Greek, akin to ēchḗ “sound”

Explanation

An echo is a repetition or imitation of sound. When sound waves hit a hard surface they might reflect, making the sound bounce and repeat. If you agree with someone, you might echo his or her statement. Poet Don Marquis said, “Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.” The word echo came from the Greek word for "sound." In Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph who could only repeat the last words of others. You were frightened when you thought someone was following you, until you realized you were only hearing the echo of your own footsteps.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

echo Echo echoes echoed echoing

Those conditions echo the terms of a so-called memorandum of understanding which was reached in June and collapsed as fighting resumed.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Crowds swell, speeches begin and slogans echo across the stadium.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The effect is similar to sound bouncing off a wall and producing an echo.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

That hostility from politicians, churches, medicine, and public opinion found its echo in dismissal by the courts.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

An echo of thrilled caws erupts in the massive space.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Rather, it’s a modest three-bedroom house on the edge of the Echo Mountain forest in Oregon, where Keller took care of her mother and disabled older brother until the end of their lives.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

The Clare Echo, the town’s local newspaper, has reported that the ballroom won’t be approved by the time of the president’s visit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

“Buying a condo now, I love it, because I know what I’m buying,” said Jeff Lichtenstein, a real-estate broker in southeast Florida who owns the luxury residential brokerage Echo Fine Properties.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

The first iteration of Boleros de Noche took place in 2015 at an art gallery in Echo Park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

“Dead people,” Echo said, like she was chastising him.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

The discrepancy echoes the oil market’s familiar bane of “missing barrels”—volumes that show up in one set of figures but can’t readily be accounted for elsewhere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The clicky videos, the snaking lines of customers, the grandiose launch parties—it echoes similar consumer hype trends of the past, like McDonald’s hyperviral Travis Scott Meal or infamous Rick and Morty–fueled Szechuan Sauce incident.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

Thousands of spectators will line the route for the unprecedented race, which echoes Formula One contests staged on city streets in Las Vegas, Monaco and Singapore.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The cry echoes around the changing room: "Marching on together!"

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

The beeping echoes through the house, and I hear Charlie crawling under the table and moving between the chairs.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Barksdale echoed Knight, adding that Chesney is not only bringing his staff and players with him, but his culture and expectations as well.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

"There was really no better choice to describe this setting: right there on the beach, right there in the port of Rimini, where through the ornamentation we also almost echoed the portholes of the boats."

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

A Northwestern Mutual study in the spring echoed these sentiments as well.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Iranian economic journalist Ata Hosseinian echoed the warning days later, tracing the fuel shortages and long gas-station lines directly to the blockade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Their excited moos echoed out from the barn and across the farm.

From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown

A private gauge showed China’s manufacturing activity expanded at a slower pace in July, remaining in expansion territory and broadly echoing the official factory survey, which signaled a contraction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

“We feel abandoned,” she said, echoing a widely shared grievance among Ceutíes, as the locals call themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

It said Burnham would vow "to continue the unbreakable bond between the two nations", echoing what the new UK leader told Zelensky in a call last Monday within hours of replacing Keir Starmer.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

With the noisy calls of angry protesters echoing around the tight confines of Ivana Franka Square, within earshot of the presidential palace, Budanov said the government was taking note.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

She could hear nothing, though, over the roar of the car, and Boaz’s own words, which seemed to play on loop, echoing in her mind and making her angrier with each passing refrain.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• mirror
• parallel
• recall
• reflect
• reiterate
• resound
• respond
• reverberate
• ring