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
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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.
“This operation was a resounding victory by any objective measure,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Burnham, 56, arrived at Downing Street to resounding applause from supporters and acknowledged he was the country's seventh prime minister since the start of 2016.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
The first season of Feeney ball was a resounding success, despite all the strikeouts and bobbled catches in between.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Andy Burnham is expected to seek the Labour leadership after his resounding victory in the Makerfield by-election.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
With Mom and Dad’s farewells still resounding in our ears, Alice took out her Swiss Army knife, with all the gadgets on it—from screwdriver to scissors—and clipped a broken nail.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
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.
