resonance
gb/ɹˈɛzənəns/ us/ɹˈɛzənəns/
B2
English
~ 9100
zengés, visszhang, felhang, asszociáció, rezonancia, mezomeria
NOUN
B2
1
zengés
B2
Usage pattern:
[sound/voice/room] has resonance; the resonance of [a sound/voice/instrument]
The resonance of the singer’s voice filled the entire hall.
Az énekes hangjának zengése betöltötte az egész termet.
Wooden instruments often have a warmer resonance than metal ones.
A fa hangszereknek gyakran melegebb a zengésük, mint a fémhangszereknek.
The church’s high ceiling gives the choir a beautiful resonance.
The microphone picked up too much room resonance, making the recording sound distant.
After the renovation, the studio lost some of its natural resonance.
Learner examples
His deep voice has a strong resonance.
Mély hangjának erős a zengése.
The drum has a loud resonance when you hit it.
A dob nagyot zeng, amikor megütöd.
This small room has too much resonance for recording music.
The guitar’s resonance makes the notes sound full.
The singer liked the resonance in the empty theater.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse “resonance” with just “loudness.” A sound can be quiet but still have strong resonance if it is deep and rich. Also, “resonance” is usually uncountable in this sense (we say “good resonance,” not “a resonance”).
Meaning
deep, full, echoing sound quality
Collocations
vocal resonance
|deep resonance
|rich resonance
|warm resonance
|the resonance of his voice
|room resonance
Synonyms
reverberation (Stresses the echoing effect of a sound in a space, while “resonance” can also focus on the depth and richness of the sound itself.)
Antonyms
flatness (Describes sound that is thin, dull, or lacking depth, the opposite of a resonant, rich quality.)
Themes
sound
|music
|art
|arts_entertainment
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A deep, clear sound that seems to fill a place or last a little longer than a normal sound.
The quality of a sound or voice that is deep, full, and carries through a space or seems to echo slightly.
NOUN
C1
2
visszhang
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] has resonance (with [someone/group]); [something] finds resonance (with [someone/group])
Her speech about climate change had real resonance with young voters.
Az éghajlatváltozásról szóló beszéde valódi visszhangra talált a fiatal szavazók körében.
The film’s quiet ending gave it a lasting emotional resonance.
A film csendes befejezése maradandó érzelmi visszhangot keltett.
The novel’s themes still have resonance for readers today.
His story of migration had strong resonance in communities that had faced similar struggles.
The message failed to find resonance beyond a small group of supporters.
Learner examples
The movie has a lot of emotional resonance for me.
Ez a film számomra erős érzelmi visszhangot kelt.
This song has resonance with people who feel lonely.
Ez a dal visszhangra talál azoknál, akik magányosnak érzik magukat.
Her words had deep resonance for the audience.
The story still has resonance many years later.
The ad did not have much resonance with customers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use “resonance” only for physical sound and forget it is very common for feelings and ideas. Also, it is easy to confuse “have resonance with” and “resonate with”; both are correct, but “resonate with” is the verb form (for example, “The idea resonates with me”).
Meaning
strong emotional or personal impact
Collocations
emotional resonance
|cultural resonance
|political resonance
|resonance with voters
|resonance for audiences
|social resonance
Synonyms
impact (A broad term for strong effect; “resonance” more specifically suggests deep, lasting emotional or personal effect, not just any effect.)
Antonyms
indifference (If something has resonance, people care about it; if it produces indifference, they do not care or feel anything about it.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|art
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The special power of a story, idea, or image to make people feel something strong or to seem very meaningful to them.
The quality of an idea, story, message, or image that strongly affects people emotionally or seems especially meaningful or relevant to their lives.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
3
felhang
C1
asszociáció
C1
Usage pattern:
[something] has/holds resonance for [someone/group]; [something] has historical/cultural resonance
The term carries uncomfortable historical resonance in this region.
Ez a kifejezés ebben a térségben kellemetlen történelmi felhangokat hordoz.
That image has a particular resonance for people who lived through the war.
Annak a képnek különös asszociációi vannak azok számára, akik átélték a háborút.
The monument’s design was chosen for its symbolic resonance.
The word “freedom” has different resonances in different cultures.
These myths still hold surprising resonance in modern society.
Learner examples
The old song has strong resonance for my parents.
A régi dal erős asszociációkat kelt a szüleimben.
This picture has a special resonance because it shows our hometown.
Ez a kép különleges asszociációkat kelt, mert a szülővárosunkat mutatja.
The name has a dark resonance in that country.
The story’s images have deep historical resonance.
That symbol has little resonance for young people today.
Common mistake:
Learners may mix this sense with simple ‘importance.’ “Resonance” is not just importance; it is about extra layers of meaning or memory that something brings to mind, often in history, culture, or personal experience.
Meaning
associations or memories something suggests
Collocations
historical resonance
|symbolic resonance
|mythic resonance
|resonance with the past
|the resonance of the word
|cultural resonance
Synonyms
echo (Used figuratively, “echo” suggests a faint repetition or reminder; “resonance” often implies richer, more complex layers of association.)
Antonyms
meaninglessness (If something has resonance, it carries extra meaning or associations; if it is meaningless, it carries none.)
Themes
history
|culture
|language
|communication
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The special feeling or ideas that a word, picture, or event makes people remember, often from history or their own past.
The quality of something, especially a word, image, or event, that suggests or recalls particular memories, ideas, or historical events.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
rezonancia
C1
Usage pattern:
[system] exhibits resonance at [frequency]; [system] is at resonance with [driving force]
The bridge collapsed because of mechanical resonance caused by the wind.
A híd a szél okozta mechanikai rezonancia miatt omlott össze.
At resonance, the circuit’s current reaches its maximum value.
Rezonanciánál az áramkör árama eléri a maximális értékét.
We adjusted the length of the string to change its resonance.
The experiment demonstrates acoustic resonance in a simple tube.
Engineers must avoid resonance frequencies that could damage the structure.
Learner examples
The singer broke the glass by using resonance.
Az énekes rezonanciát kihasználva törte össze a poharat.
In the lab, we measured the resonance of the metal bar.
A laborban megmértük a fémrúd rezonanciáját.
The machine shakes more at its resonance frequency.
Resonance can make a bridge move up and down a lot.
We study resonance in physics class.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think resonance just means “echo” in physics. In science, it specifically means a strong increase in vibration at particular frequencies due to a matching natural frequency.
Meaning
physics: strong vibration at a frequency
Collocations
mechanical resonance
|electrical resonance
|acoustic resonance
|at resonance
|resonance frequency
|resonance phenomenon
Synonyms
vibration (A general term; “resonance” refers specifically to vibration that is strongly increased at certain frequencies.)
Antonyms
damping (Damping reduces vibration, while resonance greatly increases it under certain conditions.)
Themes
science
|physics
|engineering
|technology
|education
Definition
In science, a situation where something like a bridge, string, or circuit shakes much more strongly at one special frequency than at other frequencies.
In physics and engineering, the phenomenon in which a system vibrates with greatly increased amplitude at particular frequencies when it is driven by a periodic force.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
rezonancia
C1
mezomeria
C2
Usage pattern:
resonance in [molecule/ion]; [molecule] shows resonance; resonance stabilization of [structure]
The benzene molecule is stabilized by extensive resonance.
A benzolmolekulát a kiterjedt rezonancia stabilizálja.
We can draw two main resonance structures for this ion.
Ehhez az ionhoz két fő rezonanciaszerkezetet tudunk felrajzolni.
Resonance explains why all the C–C bonds in benzene are equivalent.
The negative charge is delocalized through resonance over three oxygen atoms.
Resonance stabilization lowers the energy of the conjugate base.
Learner examples
In organic chemistry we learn about resonance structures.
Szerves kémiából rezonanciaszerkezetekről tanulunk.
This ion is very stable because of resonance.
Ez az ion a rezonancia miatt nagyon stabil.
The teacher drew three resonance forms on the board.
Resonance makes the electrons spread over several atoms.
Benzene is a common example of resonance.
Common mistake:
Learners often think resonance structures are real, separate forms that a molecule switches between. In modern chemistry, resonance means the actual molecule is a single structure (the resonance hybrid) that is best described by combining the contributing structures.
Meaning
chemistry: electron delocalization in molecules
Collocations
resonance structure
|resonance form
|resonance hybrid
|resonance stabilization
|resonance contributor
Synonyms
delocalization (In chemistry, focuses on electrons not being fixed between two atoms; “resonance” is the model used to describe that delocalization using multiple structures.)
Antonyms
localization (Describes electrons or charges confined to a specific bond or atom, the opposite of being spread out as in resonance.)
Themes
science
|chemistry
|education
Definition
In chemistry, a situation where electrons in a molecule are spread out over several atoms, so chemists draw two or more “resonance structures” to show the real bonding.
In chemistry, the delocalization of electrons in a molecule that is described by two or more contributing structures, none of which alone fully represents the actual electronic structure.
Grammar
Dictionary form
resonance
IPA
GB/ɹˈɛzənəns/
US/ɹˈɛzənəns/
Syllables & stress
res - on - ance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (res)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: resonance
- Plural: resonance, resonances
Word family
Expressions
cultural resonance
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl ɹˈɛzənəns/
fixed phrase
connection with a culture’s values
The way something, like a story or symbol, feels especially important or meaningful inside a particular culture.
Examples
- The series has strong cultural resonance in many Asian countries.
- The festival’s symbols still have cultural resonance for local people.
- Her work gained cultural resonance as debates on identity grew.
emotional resonance
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl ɹˈɛzənəns/
fixed phrase
quality of strong emotional impact
The power of something, like a story or song, to make people feel strong emotions.
Examples
- The film has great emotional resonance despite its simple plot.
- Adding personal stories gave the speech more emotional resonance.
- The painting’s emotional resonance comes from its use of color and light.
have resonance with
1/hˈæv ɹˈɛzənəns wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
to strongly affect or connect with
To affect someone strongly or to feel very meaningful or relevant to them.
Examples
- The campaign’s message did not have resonance with younger voters.
- Her poem clearly has resonance with people who have lost a loved one.
- The documentary has resonance with audiences around the world.
historical resonance
1/hɪstˈɔɹɪkəl ɹˈɛzənəns/
fixed phrase
formal
reminder or echo of history
The way something makes people think about and remember events from the past.
Examples
- The agreement has uncomfortable historical resonance in the region.
- The castle still carries historical resonance for local residents.
- The phrase has historical resonance that many politicians prefer to avoid.
in resonance with
1/ˈɪn ɹˈɛzənəns wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
technical
vibrating at the same frequency as
In science, in a situation where something is shaking or vibrating at the same natural frequency as something else.
Examples
- The bridge began to move in resonance with the wind.
- The circuit is in resonance with the incoming signal.
- When the glass is in resonance with the sound, it may shatter.
magnetic resonance imaging
1/mæɡnˈɛtɪk ɹˈɛzənəns ˈɪmɪd͡ʒɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
medical scan using magnetic fields
A medical test that uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of the inside of the body, often called an MRI.
Examples
- The doctor ordered magnetic resonance imaging to check her knee.
- Magnetic resonance imaging revealed no damage to the brain.
- They use magnetic resonance imaging to study the patient’s spinal cord.
nuclear magnetic resonance
1/nˈukliɚ mæɡnˈɛtɪk ɹˈɛzənəns/
fixed phrase
technical
spectroscopy using nuclear magnetism
A scientific method that uses magnets and radio waves to study the structure of molecules by looking at atomic nuclei.
Examples
- We used nuclear magnetic resonance to determine the compound’s structure.
- Nuclear magnetic resonance is a key tool in organic chemistry.
- The lab runs nuclear magnetic resonance experiments every week.
political resonance
1/pəlˈɪtɪkəl ɹˈɛzənəns/
fixed phrase
strong effect of a political message
The power of a political idea or speech to move people or seem very important to them.
Examples
- The slogan had unexpected political resonance during the crisis.
- His comments gained political resonance ahead of the election.
- The reform agenda found little political resonance outside the capital.