sounding board

Meanings

1. 1nouncountablefigurative

   A person or group you share ideas with to test how they sound and to get honest reactions.

   Grammar: Often with a: a sounding board for ideas.

   Patterns

   • a sounding board for something
   • use someone as a sounding board

   My sister is a good sounding board for business ideas.

   She used her mentor as a sounding board before deciding.

   The committee acts as a sounding board for new policies.

2. 2nouncountablemusictechnical

   A thin board over or behind an instrument or speaker that improves the sound.

   Grammar: Original, physical meaning.

   Patterns

   • the sounding board of something

   The sounding board of a piano amplifies the vibrating strings.

   A wooden sounding board hung over the pulpit.

   The guitar's sounding board is made of spruce.

Word forms

Common combinations

act as a sounding board

A good friend acts as a sounding board.

use as a sounding board

I use her as a sounding board for my writing.

need a sounding board

New managers often need a sounding board.

serve as a sounding board

The forum serves as a sounding board for voters.

sounding board for ideas

The meeting was a sounding board for ideas.

Synonyms and how they differ

confidant

A confidant is someone you trust with secrets, whereas a sounding board listens to ideas.

adviser

An adviser gives expert guidance, but a sounding board mainly reflects your ideas back.

listener

A listener may say nothing, but a sounding board gives feedback.

test audience

A test audience is a group used to try out a product or performance.

Word family

sound verb

to seem or to make a noise

sounding noun

measuring depth of water

soundboard noun

variant spelling or a mixing desk

board noun

a flat piece of wood

Commonly confused: sounding board or soundboard?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sounding board”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words