Did you know?
The letter sequence "v-e-r-b" in reverberate might make you think at first of such word-related brethren as proverb, verbal, and verbose, all of which derive from the Latin noun verbum, meaning "word." In fact, reverberate comes from a much different source: the Latin verb verberare, meaning "to whip, beat, or lash," which is related to the noun verber, meaning "rod." Reverberate entered the English language in the 15th century, and one of its early meanings was "to beat, drive, or cast back." By the early 1600s, it began to appear in contexts associated with sound that repeats or returns the way an echo does.
Examples of reverberate in a Sentence
Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
From above the stage, a brooding electric guitar reverberated through the space as the dancer pirouetted onto the stage alone, only to be gradually joined by others, their movements synchronized with the live accompaniment of a classical pianist.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Image The fallout has reverberated ever since, prompting Ukraine’s European allies to pledge further support.
—Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025
Bloody Sunday stokes outrage over the brutality of Jim Crow
News coverage of the violence that day reverberated around the world, shedding new light on how far Alabama authorities would go to protect white supremacy.
—Marisa Peñaloza, NPR, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reverberate
Cite this Entry
“Reverberate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverberate. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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