resonance
/ˈrezənəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈrezənəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈre-zə-nən(t)s ˈrez-nən(t)s/ (ame, mw)
resonance — noun
- resonancesingular
- resonancesplural
1. a deep, strong, and pleasing clarity in a sound that makes it easy to hear and p
a deep, strong, and pleasing clarity in a sound that makes it easy to hear and pleasant to listen to — for example, the quality of a well-trained singing voice or a well-made musical instrument.
The actor's deep voice had a natural resonance that filled the theatre without a microphone.
collocation: natural resonance
Bao adjusted the guitar strings until the sound had the warm resonance he wanted for the concert.
The old church hall gave the choir's singing a beautiful resonance that moved the audience.
Eli's voice lacked resonance, so the audio engineer raised the microphone level.
- resoundingness
much less common; more literal
- sonority
more formal; used mainly for voices and musical tones
- richness
broader meaning — can describe colour, texture, or flavour, not just sound
常見錯誤
2. a physical process in which an object picks up energy from sound waves or vibrat
a physical process in which an object picks up energy from sound waves or vibrations at a matching frequency, causing it to shake and produce a stronger or longer-lasting sound itself.
Dario tapped a tuning fork near a piano string, and the string began to shake — a clear case of resonance.
demonstrates: vibration transferred at matching frequency
The bridge was built with special dampers to prevent resonance from wind or traffic at certain frequencies.
technical context: prevent resonance in engineering
In physics class, the students watched one tuning fork make another fork across the table vibrate through resonance.
The glass shattered because the singer's voice hit the exact frequency needed to cause resonance in the crystal.
- sympathetic vibration
more precise technical term for the same phenomenon
- oscillation
broader — any back-and-forth motion, not necessarily frequency-matched
- amplification
more general — any increase in strength, not specific to sound
- damping
reduction or suppression of vibration
用法筆記
Common in physics, engineering, and music contexts. The term is almost always paired with 'frequency' — resonance happens when two objects share or nearly share a natural frequency. The countable form ('a resonance') is used when referring to a specific resonant frequency or mode.
常見錯誤
3. the power of a story, song, film, or speech to stir up strong personal feelings,
the power of a story, song, film, or speech to stir up strong personal feelings, memories, or thoughts — the sense that the work connects deeply with the person experiencing it.
The novel about migration had a strong resonance for Iris, whose grandparents had moved to a new country themselves.
collocation: have a resonance for somebody
The old photograph of her grandmother's village had unexpected emotional resonance for Manuela, bringing back summers she had almost forgotten.
collocation: emotional resonance
The politician's speech about community values found resonance among young voters who felt disconnected from politics.
Decades after its release, the film's themes of loss and hope continue to have cultural resonance around the world.
- emotional impact
broader — any strong emotional effect, not necessarily the 'connecting deeply' quality
- poignancy
more specific — a sad or bittersweet emotional quality
- meaningfulness
focuses on significance rather than emotional stir
- shallowness
lacking depth or lasting emotional effect
- irrelevance
no connection to the listener's experience
文法句型
have a resonance for someone
find resonance among
用法筆記
Often used with have, find, or create/carry. The subject is typically an artwork, speech, or story; the person who experiences the connection is introduced by for or among. Unlike sense 1 and 2, this sense is almost never countable.