resonant

American  

[rez-uh-nuhnt] / ˈrɛz ə nənt /

adjective

1. resounding or echoing, as sounds.

   the resonant thundering of cannons being fired.

2. deep and full of resonance.

   a resonant voice.

   Synonyms:

   reverberant, sonorant, vibrant, rich

3. pertaining to resonance.

4. producing resonance; causing amplification or sustention of sound.

5. pertaining to a system in a state of resonance, especially with respect to sound.

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noun

1. Phonetics. a vowel or a voiced consonant or semivowel that is neither a stop nor an affricate, as, in English, (m, ng, n, l, r, y, w).

resonant British  

/ ˈrɛzənənt /

adjective

1. (of sound) resounding or re-echoing

2. producing or enhancing resonance, as by sympathetic vibration

3. characterized by resonance

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Other Word Forms

• hyperresonant
  adjective
• nonresonant
  adjective
• unresonant
  adjective
• hyperresonantly
  adverb
• nonresonantly
  adverb
• resonantly
  adverb
• unresonantly
  adverb

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).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

resonant

When “Digger” briefly strikes this resonant note, its warring aspects begin to coalesce, before Iñárritu strikes them with a shovel and breaks everything up again.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

"When the characteristic energy of the cavity mode matched the low-energy superconducting fluctuations, the NbSe2 device exhibited resonant enhancement, producing the peak in superconductivity enhancement," said Prof. Jiang.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

So often are these charges true that it can feel shocking when we encounter conceptual work that truly lands, that elevates its subject matter in a way that makes it deeply resonant without preaching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

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

So that nothing around her existed but the music and the need to create a resonant and pure sound.

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

Related Words

• mellow
• profound
• rich
• ringing
• sonorous
• thrilling