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Meaning & use

resonating

verb·Academic

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UK/ˈrezəneɪtɪŋ/
US/ˈrezəneɪtɪŋ/

“resonating” is a form of “resonate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbintransitivefigurative

    Affecting people strongly because it matches their own feelings, experiences or beliefs.

    Grammar: No object; usually followed by with: the message is resonating with voters.

    Patterns

    • resonate with someone
    • resonate with something

    Her speech about starting over is resonating with many young workers.

    The film's themes of loneliness are resonating with audiences around the world.

    His advice kept resonating with me long after we spoke.

  2. verbintransitive

    Making a deep, full sound that lasts a long time, or being filled with such a sound.

    Grammar: Often followed by with or through: the hall was resonating with music.

    Patterns

    • resonate with something
    • resonate through something

    The cathedral was resonating with the deep notes of the organ.

    A low hum was resonating through the empty tunnel.

    The drum kept resonating long after the last beat.

  3. verbintransitivephysicstechnical

    Vibrating at the natural frequency of an object because another vibration of the same rate is driving it.

    Grammar: No object: the glass began resonating when the singer hit the note.

    Patterns

    • resonate at a frequency

    The bridge started resonating at the same rhythm as the marching feet.

    The wine glass was resonating, and soon it shattered.

Word forms

base formresonate
third person singularresonates
past tenseresonated

Common combinations

resonating with audiences
The new song is resonating with audiences far beyond the band's home town.
resonating with voters
The candidate's focus on housing is resonating with voters in the suburbs.
resonating deeply
The story was resonating deeply with people who had moved abroad.
resonating through the hall
The choir's final chord was resonating through the hall.
still resonating
His words are still resonating years later.

Synonyms and how they differ

connecting
Connecting is plainer and covers any link between a message and an audience, while resonating suggests the message strikes a deep personal chord.
echoing
Echoing means repeating a sound or idea, and is not the same as making someone feel personally understood.
reverberating
Reverberating stresses sound or effects spreading and lasting, often with a bigger or louder impact than resonating.
striking a chord
Striking a chord is an idiom for the emotional sense and is less formal than resonating.

Opposites

falling flatmuffling

Word family

resonate verb
to produce deep sound or to appeal strongly
resonance noun
deep lasting sound, or emotional or personal significance
resonant adjective
deep, clear and long lasting in sound, or full of meaning
resonator noun
an object or device that amplifies or sustains a sound

Commonly confused: resonating or resounding? resonating or reasoning?

resonating vs resounding

Resounding describes something very loud or very clear, as in a resounding victory; resonating is about deep sound or personal appeal.

resonating vs reasoning

Reasoning is the process of thinking logically; it only looks and sounds similar.

Practice

The mayor's plan for new bike lanes is clearly ______ with local residents.

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