reverberation

American  

[ri-vur-buh-rey-shuhn] / rɪˌvɜr bəˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

1. a reechoed sound.

2. the fact of being reverberated or reflected.

3. something that is reverberated.

   Reverberations from the explosion were felt within a six-mile radius.

4. an act or instance of reverberating.

5. Physics. the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped, caused by multiple reflection of the sound within a closed space.

6. the act or process of subjecting something to reflected heat, as in a reverberatory furnace.

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Etymology

Origin of reverberation

1350–1400; Middle English reverberacioun < Medieval Latin reverberātiōn- (stem of reverberātiō ). See reverberate, -ion

Explanation

A reverberation is an echoing sound. When you bang on a big piece of metal, you can hear the reverberation even after you stop banging. The repeating, often low, booming sound that follows the strum of an electric guitar or the thump of a drumstick on a cymbal is called reverberation. It's frequently described as sound that lingers beyond the original noise. You can also use the word to describe something else that lingers, like a feeling or an effect: "The reverberations of the war lasted for decades." Originally, reverberation was "reflection of light or heat," from the Old French reverberacion, "great flash of light."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reverberation

One in France produces a reverberation, we are told, “comparable to those found in a contemporary symphony hall.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

"And I think it's really a testament to the power of love. We went through this thing and now we have this beautiful film that will hopefully create a reverberation."

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2023

From the very beginning of her tour, Provenzano said, the sound team would dampen the last note Beyoncé sings before the mute, so there’s no reverberation in the space that they want to silence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2023

"When the market takes a focus on one stock, any disappointment could have a reverberation in the market," said Andre Bakhos, managing member at Ingenium Analytics LLC.

From Reuters ● Aug. 23, 2023

He blamed himself for the accident, then kept on blaming himself for every decision that was made thereafter, every repercussion, every reverberation that clanged down through the years.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

• repercussion