resounding
Americanadjective
-
making an echoing sound.
a resounding thud.
-
uttered loudly.
resounding speech.
-
impressively thorough or complete.
a resounding popular success.
adjective
-
clear and emphatic; unmistakable
a resounding vote of confidence
-
full of or characterized by resonance; reverberating
a resounding slap
Other Word Forms
- resoundingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of resounding
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at resound, -ing 2
Explanation
Resounding describes something obvious or unambiguous. If it's clear that every single guest had a wonderful time, you can call your party a resounding success. Use this adjective to emphasize how great (or terrible) something is, like your best friend's resounding victory in the student council election, or the resounding disaster of your plan to carpet your bedroom using moss. It's also useful for describing a sound that echoes or reverberates: "The resounding slam of her bedroom door told me my sister was really angry." The Latin root means "echo."
Vocabulary lists containing resounding
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Woodsong
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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.
Although unconventional, snow farming was a resounding success for both resorts.
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026
“Today’s D.C. Circuit stay allowing the government to designate Anthropic as a supply chain risk is a resounding victory for military readiness,” said Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Midway through the quarter, a sequence of a Betts layup over the South Carolina defense, a Betts block of a Latson shot and a Jaquez fast-break layup gave the Bruins a resounding 22-point lead.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
England got a send-off all right, resounding boos greeting the final whistle before the players went around applauding thousands of empty red seats and the few fans who had bothered to stay.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Immediately my mind responded with a resounding negative.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
