Resound

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈzaʊnd/

Definitions

1. to produce a loud, clear, prolonged sound that echoes or reverberates through a space
2. a loud noise or vibration that echoes repeatedly through an area or rebounds off surfaces
3. to ring out powerfully and reverberate throughout a space or be widely heard and remembered

Etymology: The verb "resound" is a case of two-way ancestry. Its prefix "re-" means "again," and its root is "sound," so the English word is literally "to sound again." But the Old French verb "resoner" and its Latin source "resonare" already meant "to ring or sound again, re-echo," and English drew on both routes: the Latin-derived form entered through Anglo-Norman and Middle French, while the native English pairing of "re-" with "sound" also produced a verb. The two strands merged, which is why the modern word has a Latin-looking pedigree and a plainly English construction. The Latin verb "resonare" was built from "re-" plus "sonare," itself tied to "sonus," meaning "sound" or "noise." Early English uses in the Late Middle English period were broad: the word could describe an echoing noise, a clamour, or a place ringing with sound, and it could even mean that a theme was announced in speech or writing. Its sense narrowed over time to the physical experience of a loud noise bouncing back off walls or hills, which is what the word carries today.

Synonyms: echo, reverberate