resonate

American  

[rez-uh-neyt] / ˈrɛz əˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

resonates, present (3rd person singular) resonated, past participle, past resonating present participle

1. to resound.

2. to act as a resonator; exhibit resonance.

3. Electronics. to reinforce oscillations because the natural frequency of the device is the same as the frequency of the source.

4. to amplify vocal sound by the sympathetic vibration of air in certain cavities and bony structures.

5. 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.

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verb (used with object)

resonates, present (3rd person singular) resonated, past participle, past resonating present participle

1. to cause to resound.

resonate British  

/ ˈrɛzəˌneɪt /

verb

1. to resound or cause to resound; reverberate

2. (of a mechanical system, electrical circuit, chemical compound, etc) to exhibit or cause to exhibit resonance

3. to be understood or receive a sympathetic response

   themes which will resonate with voters

4. to be filled with

   simple words that seem to resonate with mystery and beauty

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• resonation
  noun
• unresonating
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• resonating
  present
• resonated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• resonate
  simple
• resonates
  simple
• have resonated
  perfect
• has resonated
  perfect
• am resonating
  progressive
• are resonating
  progressive
• is resonating
  progressive
• have been resonating
  perfect progressive
• has been resonating
  perfect progressive

Past

• resonated
  simple
• had resonated
  perfect
• was resonating
  progressive
• were resonating
  progressive
• had been resonating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will resonate
  simple
• will have resonated
  perfect
• will be resonating
  progressive
• will have been resonating
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

resonate resonates resonated resonating

Whether such rhetoric will resonate in France and the U.K. remains to be seen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Plenty of indie productions flop at the box office or never land distribution at all — just as plenty of big-budget releases continue to resonate with mass audiences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

"Communism is a word that just doesn't resonate anymore" for Americans under 50, Chase told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026

"I resonate with those words so much. More than being unstoppable, I think it refers to a dream and an aspiration to become unstoppable," Eala told BBC TV.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

He was a tuning fork, made to resonate at the frequency of this place, at this time.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

With her movies and her music, it’s all relatable and it resonates with you, the lyrics, the storyline and even her new album that just came out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

It's a message that resonates with his fans.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

The phenomenon of artists saying we don’t want to work with this or that company resonates with fans and listeners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

“It is reassuring that the public resonates so strongly with our independence hero, Lumumba,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

In a constant rhythm so loud it resonates in my skull.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Since the 1920s were a time of unsettling social change, his call to a return to traditional values resonated with many Americans.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

Other anti-immigrant parties will be watching to see how much the population cap proposition resonated with voters—and how they can adapt the talking points to their own countries, Favero adds.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

Private Facebook groups resonated with anger, fears for the future and a sense of betrayal, according to agents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

From the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, to the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal era and the current LeBron James and Luka Doncic days, Tanter was the voice that resonated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

It was not only an homage to one of my favorite songs by the Doors—but it was a statement that deeply resonated with me.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi

The company is revamping its stores and improving its selection, and those moves are resonating with shoppers.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

But this is something that is resonating nationally because Pratt has that celebrity factor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

Newer items, like looser pants designed for travel and new leggings designs, were resonating with consumers, he noted.

From MarketWatch ● May 31, 2026

Fan Eve Rigby, 23, agrees: "I remember Euphoria resonating strongly within my friend group as the characters felt like a more stylised version of us as 17-year-olds, but season three is harder to resonate."

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

“Human,” she intoned, her voice suddenly resonating with bass tones.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

Related Words

• echo
• reverberate
• vibrate