What does "resonance" mean?
The quality of being resonant.
Resonance
noun
noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The quality of being resonant.
- Grammar: resonance is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ringing, affinity for music, amplification, amplitude.
- Useful contrasts: hollow feeling, damping, disconnection.
- Usage evidence: By using four types of metal, specific frequency resonance is suppressed.
How to use "resonance"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "resonance" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "resonance" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "resonance" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "resonance" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "resonance" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ringing" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "resonance", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The quality of being resonant. uncountable
"The leiter-wagons contained great, square boxes, with handles of thick rope; these were evidently empty by the ease with which the Slovaks handled them, and by their resonance as they were roughly moved."
- 2 the quality imparted to voiced speech sounds by the action of the resonating chambers of the throat and mouth and nasal cavities wordnet
- 3 A resonant sound, echo, or reverberation, such as that produced by blowing over the top of a bottle. countable
"He passed on, and the lights and cries of the station dropped away, merged in a wider haze and a hollower resonance, as the train gathered itself up with a long shake and rolled out again into the darkness."
- 4 having the character of a loud deep sound; the quality of being resonant wordnet
- 5 The sound produced by a hollow body part such as the chest cavity upon auscultation, especially that produced while the patient is speaking. countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a vibration of large amplitude produced by a relatively small vibration near the same frequency of vibration as the natural frequency of the resonating system wordnet
- 7 Something that evokes an association, or a strong emotion; something that strikes a chord. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"emotional resonance"
- 8 an excited state of a stable particle causing a sharp maximum in the probability of absorption of electromagnetic radiation wordnet
- 9 The increase in the amplitude of an oscillation of a system under the influence of a periodic force whose frequency is close to that of the system's natural frequency. countable, uncountable
"One of the most important developments beyond the original concept of magnetic resonance is so-called double resonance in which, as the name suggests, one excites one resonant transition of a system while simultaneously monitoring a different transition."
- 10 a relationship of mutual understanding or trust and agreement between people wordnet
- 11 A short-lived subatomic particle or state of atomic excitation that results from the collision of atomic particles. countable, uncountable
"When experiments with the first ‘atom-smashers’ took place in the 1950s to 1960s, many short-lived heavier siblings of the proton and neutron, known as ‘resonances’, were discovered."
- 12 An increase in the strength or duration of a musical tone produced by sympathetic vibration. countable, uncountable
- 13 The property of a compound that can be visualized as having two structures differing only in the distribution of electrons. countable, uncountable
- 14 An influence of the gravitational forces of one orbiting object on the orbit of another, causing periodic perturbations. countable, uncountable
"The dedicated time Cheops spent observing the star helped astronomers iron out the mixed signals from the TESS data to determine how many planets were crossing in front of the star and the resonance of their orbits."
- 15 The condition where the inductive and capacitive reactances have equal magnitude. countable, uncountable
- 16 A quality of human relationship with the world. countable, uncountable
"Resonance is a kind of relationship to the world, formed through affect and emotion, intrinsic interest, and perceived self-efficacy, in which subject and world are mutually affected and transformed."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"By using four types of metal, specific frequency resonance is suppressed."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "resonance"?
Common synonyms include: ringing, affinity for music, amplification, amplitude, antinode, artistry in performance.
How do you use "resonance" in a sentence?
By using four types of metal, specific frequency resonance is suppressed.
Etymology
From Old French resonance (French résonance), from Latin resonantia (“echo”), from resonō (“I resound”).