resounding
Americanadjective
-
making an echoing sound.
a resounding thud.
-
uttered loudly.
resounding speech.
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impressively thorough or complete.
a resounding popular success.
adjective
-
clear and emphatic; unmistakable
a resounding vote of confidence
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full of or characterized by resonance; reverberating
a resounding slap
Other Word Forms
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
Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution
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Ice Magic
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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.
Trump congratulated González-Colón in a letter shared at her January 2025 inauguration saying, “I am so proud of your resounding victory.”
From Salon • May 6, 2026
Saar took to the stage amid a resounding standing ovation, and when she spoke, the crowd’s gaze remained intently on her.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
“The court answered with a resounding no, dealing a blow to renewed efforts by large corporate taxpayers to use artificial tax maneuvers to shelter their profits.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
This was hardly the resounding response to a damaging Tyne-Wear derby defeat that Howe needed as his future comes under increasing scrutiny.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
"Wait till I show Jon—" Behind her the great wooden doors of the Small Hall flew open with a resounding crash.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
