sonorous
Americanadjective
adjective
-
producing or capable of producing sound
-
(of language, sound, etc) deep or resonant
-
(esp of speech) high-flown; grandiloquent
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sonorous
1605–15; < Latin sonōrus noisy, sounding, equivalent to sonōr-, stem of sonor sound ( son ( āre ) to sound 1 + -or -or 1 ) + -us -ous
Explanation
Used to describe sound or speech that is full, rich, and deep, sonorous is a great word for snoring, for bass voices, and for low notes on the tuba. Skip the first "o" and you'll see snore inside this word, which should give you a clue as to its deeply resonant character. Another way to remember sonorous is that son sounds like "sound," and that's what this word is all about.
Vocabulary lists containing sonorous
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Common Senses: Son ("Sound")
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Things Fall Apart
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Low sonorous chanting resonated through the hall as ritual smoke lingered in the still, humid air.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
It’s startlingly similar to what happens when he stands on opera stages — all 6 feet, 5 inches of him — and bellows in his sonorous bass-baritone; you are irrevocably drawn in.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 15, 2024
He’s masculinity incarnate, in all its confidence and anxieties — direct, sonorous and conversational even as the tragedy builds.
From New York Times ● Jan. 8, 2023
Yet her sonorous voice carries the weight of a hundred years of solitude.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2022
The chazzan’s sonorous chanting soothed me like balm on a burn.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
