reverberate

American  

[ri-vur-buh-reyt, 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

As the latest row shows, the fallout of the protest continues to reverberate in the country's premier law institutes - and the top court of India.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

U.S. stock futures fell as a selloff in companies linked to the artificial-intelligence buildout continued to reverberate across the globe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Discovery — could reverberate through the entertainment business for years to come.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

A rare occurrence likes this tends to get attention, as similar decisions from major central banks within a short period can reverberate into markets.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

To sing a note in one of these cavernous spaces is to hear its sound echo and reverberate, returning to its source modified by the building itself.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

Among the rank-and-file, the fight now reverberates in church pews and parking lots, and in America’s Catholic neighborhoods from Pittsburgh to Boston to Miami.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

It’s like the first pluck of a kora string, and it reverberates through my entire body.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

The issue also reverberated in parliament on Monday, with repeated disruptions as opposition lawmakers demanded a response from the government over last week's police crackdown.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Investors paused for breath after frenetic selling Thursday, when fears around U.S.-Iran escalations reverberated through global markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Burns punched the air as a rapturous roar - which ripped across the course - reverberated in his ears.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

The plant’s low rumble reverberated across the surrounding desert, unusually green from a recent rain.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

Chrysaor’s laughter reverberated inside his gold face mask.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

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

Those changes have rocked the exhibition business in ways that are still reverberating today.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

AFP journalists in Tel Aviv heard two near-simultaneous waves of explosions reverberating across the city.

From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026

Kyle heard the whir of spinning wheels, the clink of grinding gears, and a reverberating clunk.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• echo
• resound