reverberate

American  

[ri-vur-buh-rayt, ri-vur-ber-it] / rɪˈvɜr bəˌreɪt, rɪˈvɜr bər ɪt /

verb (used without object)

• reverberates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reverberated,
  past participle,  past
• reverberating
  present participle

1. 

   to reecho or resound.

   Her singing reverberated through the house.

   Synonyms:

   vibrate, rebound, ring, carry

2. Physics. to be reflected many times, as sound waves from the walls of a confined space.

3. to rebound or recoil.

4. to be deflected, as flame in a reverberatory furnace.

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verb (used with object)

• reverberates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• reverberated,
  past participle,  past
• reverberating
  present participle

1. to echo back or reecho (sound).

2. to cast back or reflect (light, heat, etc.).

3. to subject to reflected heat, as in a reverberatory furnace.

adjective

1. reverberant.

reverberate British  

/ rɪˈvɜːbəˌreɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to resound or re-echo

   the explosion reverberated through the castle

2. to reflect or be reflected many times

3. (intr) to rebound or recoil

4. (intr) (of the flame or heat in a reverberatory furnace) to be deflected onto the metal or ore on the hearth

5. (tr) to heat, melt, or refine (a metal or ore) in a reverberatory furnace

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reverberation
  noun
• reverberator
  noun
• reverberant
  adjective
• reverberative
  adjective
• unreverberated
  adjective
• unreverberating
  adjective
• unreverberative
  adjective
• reverberantly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• reverberating
  present
• reverberated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• reverberate
  simple
• reverberates
  simple
• have reverberated
  perfect
• has reverberated
  perfect
• am reverberating
  progressive
• are reverberating
  progressive
• is reverberating
  progressive
• have been reverberating
  perfect progressive
• has been reverberating
  perfect progressive

Past

• reverberated
  simple
• had reverberated
  perfect
• was reverberating
  progressive
• were reverberating
  progressive
• had been reverberating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will reverberate
  simple
• will have reverberated
  perfect
• will be reverberating
  progressive
• will have been reverberating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of reverberate

First recorded in 1540–50, reverberate is from the Latin word reverberātus (past participle of reverberāre to strike back). See reverberant, -ate ¹

Explanation

If you give a loud shout in a cavernous place, like a gym or a church, the sound of your voice will reverberate throughout the room. Reverberate means sound waves traveling back and forth, as in an echo. Often we use reverberate to talk about sound, or sometimes light. If a noise echoes for a long time, we can say the space reverberates with that noise. You may have heard of a reverb effect in audio processing, which is basically a long echo. We also use the word metaphorically to describe the impact of huge events. For example, the 2008 mortgage crisis in the U.S. reverberated throughout the world’s economy, causing a global recession.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reverberate reverberates reverberated reverberating

Europe is enduring a summer of record heat and sparse rainfall, as the consequences of a severe El Niño weather system reverberate across the globe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

"Your performance across the whole arc of the game doesn't matter as much as having a signature moment that'll play well, that'll reverberate in the viral confines of social media," Serazio said.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

The repercussions of this method still reverberate through Panettiere’s life today, with the actress musing: “I’ve often wondered whether—unintentionally—I’ve brought on my traumas because I’m wired to think they’re good for me.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

“Even though this is a specific investigation in the city of Riverside, the consequences of this behavior by code enforcement reverberate throughout the state.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

There was a brief silence in which the distant echo of Hagrid smashing down a wooden front door seemed to reverberate through the intervening years.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

She writes about how Google is reshaping itself and its products in the AI era, and how that reverberates across our online and offline lives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

One can be thought of as “ripple-out” inflation, where a shock to an economically ubiquitous input — like energy — reverberates throughout other goods and sectors that depend upon it.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026

As a Haitian-American, Jeannoel said she understands firsthand how the legal battle around TPS alongside the political crisis in Haiti reverberates beyond recipients to their families.

From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2026

The noisy chaos of the overcrowded Congolese capital reverberates behind the walls of the hotel.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

He tugs a string by the doorway and the movement reverberates throughout the room, the entire model circus sparkling as bits of metal catch the firelight.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Gorman died, and her mother Jessica's harrowing testimony two months ago reverberated inside and outside Congress.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Treasury yields extended multiyear highs and stocks slid across the globe in early European trade Thursday as the implications of higher oil prices and strong U.S. growth data reverberated through markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

From the moment Messi quit his country, shockwaves reverberated around Argentina.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

When it was over, the sound of children shrieking “Puka!” reverberated off the bleachers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Everything signified, everything blared and reverberated as though some adjustment was off, some knob turned all the way up.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

"Cumulatively not engaging in health-promotion behaviors in the postpartum period has reverberating implications for the family unit, too," Yee said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

The 'here we go' is on hold, the 'bombas' are done and dusted and the window panes are reverberating after being forcefully closed on Tuesday night.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

O’Regan further pointed out that weakness in the Korean chip sector could be reverberating across the sector on Friday.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Drones and reverberating airstrikes are proving to be a big problem for curators and preservationists trying to protect cultural heritage in Iran, Israel and Lebanon right now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

An omniscient voice is already calling out each of our names as we enter the arena, the voice deep and reverberating, and as it does, each name rotates in flames in the arena’s center.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• echo
• resound