Crossword Dictionary
echo
noun
A sound or sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.
synonyms
reverberate, resound
examples:
‘I stood still, listening, and realized it was not an echo but the sound of hooves - a lone rider coming through the gate.’
‘My hands went up to clap over my ears; each shot sounded like an explosion, the echoes rolling fast back through the woods.’
‘Carpets are needed throughout to dull the sound of footsteps and echoes in the corridors, which can distract and upset some children.’
‘Blair stood frozen like that, listening to the echoes of his footsteps and the hum of his car engine reverberating in her ears as they faded into the night.’
reverberate
reverberate - v
have a long or continuing effect; "The discussions with my teacher reverberated throughout my adult life"
be reflected as heat, sound, or light or shock waves; "the waves reverberate as far away as the end of the building"
If you give a loud shout in a cavernous place, like a gym or a church, the sound of your voice will reverberate throughout the room. Reverberate means sound waves traveling back and forth, as in an echo.
Often we use reverberate to talk about sound, or sometimes light. If a noise echoes for a long time, we can say the space reverberates with that noise. You may have heard of a reverb effect in audio processing, which is basically a long echo. We also use the word metaphorically to describe the impact of huge events. For example, the 2008 mortgage crisis in the U.S. reverberated throughout the world’s economy, causing a global recession.