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.

---

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

---

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

Southern California was the first city targeted by widespread immigration raids last year, upending the region in ways that continue to reverberate, particularly for immigrant communities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

When they do, though, the sound seems to reverberate, the tumult of the past ringing in our ears.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

Based on their knowledge of acoustic science, the doctors theorized that the raps could be made to reverberate on nearby tables, doors, or other solid objects.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Though the ache of nostalgia reverberates throughout, the songs remain intensely present and vulnerable in their reckoning with it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

The thud of fists walloping punching bags reverberates through the gym from morning until evening.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 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

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

Stocks slid across the globe in early European trade Thursday as the implications of higher oil prices as well as 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

They went on board a riverboat, the wooden wheel of which had a sound of conflagration, and whose rusted metal plates reverberated like the mouth of an oven.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"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

Changes in how we work are reverberating around the world, sparking debate from Asia to Europe to the United States.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

After the long, torchlit approach, walking straight into the gaze of the snarling deity, mysterious bellows reverberating off the stone, the oracular declamation from above must have been spine-chilling.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• echo
• resound

---