resonate
Americanverb (used without object)
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resonates,
present (3rd person singular)
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resonated,
past participle, past
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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
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(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:
Felicia Pride, creator and showrunner of “A Different World,” said her sequel series to the original NBC show about Black students navigating their way through a fictional college should resonate with young people worldwide.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
She believes MySpace's original strengths – music, creativity, and personal expression – could still resonate, but only with more accessible design.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but it isn’t what made “Chef’s Table” resonate in the first place.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
The “rethinking of the traditional card form factor is something that’s really going to resonate, particularly with audiences like Cash App,” Jennings said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The first, Natural Theology, published in 1802 by William Paley, the former vicar of Dalston, made an argument that would resonate deeply with Darwin.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
He added that this theme resonates with “audiences of all ages and all around the world.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Professional creators with huge followings can no longer guarantee their audience will see the ads they post, while the work of creators with tiny followings can go viral if their content resonates enough, said Archer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
This boundary-crossing may help explain why the phenomenon resonates so strongly at this cultural moment.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
The Labour activists were invited to canvass with him and make edits of his time on the Makerfield by-election campaign trail in a language and style that resonates with people online.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Usually when I’m sad, Dad’s deep voice resonates in my chest, soothing my hurt feelings.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
The message resonated with almost half of voters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
The way Ted, played by Jason Sudeikis, lifts others up resonated with me immediately.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
It leaned on new products like novelty sugary drinks and limited-offer items like S’mores beverages that resonated “particularly well” with Gen Z customers, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
BTS's Love Yourself album trilogy's focus on acceptance and healing - and the group leader RM's plea to "use us, use BTS to love yourself"- resonated with millions around the world, and with Yeon-su.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
A heliocentric universe resonated with Kepler’s religious sense, and he embraced it with fervor.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
“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
Cardmember perks are resonating, an Amex executive says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
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
The golden monkey leapt for Father MacPhail, but not to attack: he scrambled up and over the man’s shoulders to reach the complex heart of the wires and the pipe work, the resonating chamber.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
