sonorous

[ suh-nawr-uhs, -nohr-, son-er-uhs ]

adjective

1. giving out or capable of giving out a sound, especially a deep, resonant sound, as a thing or place:

   a sonorous cavern.

2. loud, deep, or resonant, as a sound.
3. rich and full in sound, as language or verse.
4. high-flown; grandiloquent:

   a sonorous speech.

   Synonyms: orotund, grandiose, florid, eloquent

sonorous

/ səˈnɒrɪtɪ; ˈsɒnərəs; səˈnɔːrəs /

adjective

1. producing or capable of producing sound
2. (of language, sound, etc) deep or resonant
3. (esp of speech) high-flown; grandiloquent

Derived Forms

• soˈnorousness, noun
• soˈnorously, adverb
• sonority, noun

Other Words From

• so·norous·ly adverb
• so·norous·ness noun
• multi·so·norous adjective
• multi·so·norous·ly adverb
• multi·so·norous·ness noun
• unso·norous adjective
• unso·norous·ly adverb
• unso·norous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonorous¹

1605–15; < Latin sonōrus noisy, sounding, equivalent to sonōr-, stem of sonor sound ( son ( āre ) to sound ¹ + -or -or ¹ ) + -us -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonorous¹

C17: from Latin sonōrus loud, from sonor a noise

Example Sentences

His voice fits the sunny sanctuary, managing to be light yet sonorous.

From TIme

There was Radim Palouš, the sonorous philosophical godfather of Kampademia.

From The Daily Beast

At the end, the sonorous Welles concludes with a little talk about Halloween.

From The Daily Beast

Franklin Roosevelt's addresses in 1933 and 1937 remain alive, as does the sonorous rhetoric of John F. Kennedy's address in 1961.

From The Daily Beast

The ancient cities, the dreamy harbors, the sonorous street names that no longer existed.

From The Daily Beast

In my youth, you heard, side-by-side, the church bells ringing and the beautiful, sonorous call to prayer of the muezzin.

From The Daily Beast

Her glance wandered from his face away toward the Gulf, whose sonorous murmur reached her like a loving but imperative entreaty.

From Project Gutenberg

Pausing at the threshold before opening the door, the sonorous mumble sounding through the deal panels misled me.

From Project Gutenberg

Jerry hit the instrument as he spoke and drowned his own voice in its sonorous roar.

From Project Gutenberg

Over me, away off, as if from the heavens, I heard a sonorous rumble of mystery words.

From Project Gutenberg

I should think 'twould make a splendid subject—you could use such sonorous, resounding words.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• booming
• ringing
• thundering