reverberate
re·verb·er·ate/ɹəˈvɜɹbəˌɹeɪt/verb, adjective
reverberate is spelled R-E-V-E-R-B-E-R-A-T-E: 11 letters and 4 syllables (re·verb·er·ate). It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, reverberate means “To cause (a sound) to be (repeatedly) bounced against one or more surfaces; to re-echo” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in reverberate?
| Letters | 11: R-E-V-E-R-B-E-R-A-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4: re·verb·er·ate |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 67,454th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is reverberate?
Reverberate appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce reverberate?
- UK /ɹɪˈvɜːbəˌɹeɪt/
- US /ɹəˈvɜɹbəˌɹeɪt/
- US /ɹi-/
As an adjective (“Synonym of reverberant (“that tends to reverberate…”): /ɹɪˈvɜːbəɹət/, /ɹəˈvɜɹbəɹət/, /ɹi-/.
Reverberate has 4 syllables, split re·verb·er·ate in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vininn126-reverberate.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of reverberate
- reverberates present, singular, he/she/it
- reverberating participle, present
- reverberated participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
- more reverberate comparative
- most reverberate superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does reverberate mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To cause (a sound) to be (repeatedly) bounced against one or more surfaces; to re-echo.
- 2
Followed by on (to): to deflect or divert (flames, heat, etc.) on to something.
Flame is reverberated in a furnace.
- 3
archaicTo heat (something) by deflecting flames on to, or passing flames over, it.
- 4
To repeatedly reflect (heat, light, or other radiation).
- 5
obsoleteTo drive, force, or push (someone or something) back; to repel, to repulse.
- 6
obsoleteTo send (something) back from where it came.
- 7
obsoleteOf light or sound: to fall on or hit (a surface or other thing); also, to fill or spread throughout (a space or other thing).
- 8
obsoleterareTo beat or hit (something) repeatedly.
adjective
- 1
Synonym of reverberant (“that tends to reverberate (“(repeatedly) bounce against one or more surfaces”) or has reverberated”); re-echoed.
- 2
rareRinging or vibrating with many echoing sounds; re-echoing, resounding, reverberating.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Reverberate in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense (transitive) to cause (a sound) to be (repeatedly) bounced against one or more s:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | réverbérer |
| German | nachdröhnen, nachhallen, nachklingen |
| Spanish | reverberar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does reverberate come from?
Borrowed from Latin reverberātus, perfect passive participle of reverberō (“to rebound; to reflect; to repel”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), whence Middle French reverberer (French réverbérer) and Middle English reverberen (“to send back”)), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) and verberō (“to beat; to lash, whip”) (from verber (“rod; lash, whip”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).