Make Your Point > Archived Issues > REVERBERATE

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connect today's word to others: If something reverberates, did it verberate first? Did it reverb? For that matter, did it...verb? :) Maybe, maybe, and no. Although it's much more common to say that something reverberates, you can also say that it reverbs or that it verberates--all three words mean the same thing, that is: to echo, to resound, to ring out, to re___ate, to vibrate with sound--or, figuratively, to spark consequences or re___cuss___s. Inside our word reverberate are some Latin roots that mean "to strike back" or "to beat back." But because the idea of beating or striking can take on all kinds of figurative meanings, we have some other, totally different words whose roots also literally mean "strike back" or "beat back:" 1. To re____ people is to scold them harshly. 2. And to re____ things is to show that they're wrong. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "REVERBERATE" Something that reverberates echoes. That is, it keeps making a sound, it keeps getting talked about a lot, or it keeps making a big impact or causing major effects. Pronunciation: re VUR bur ate (Or, relax the first syllable and say "ruh VUR bur ate.") Part of speech: Verb, the intransitive kind: "the shout reverberated," "their choice reverberated for years." Other forms: Reverberated, reverberating, reverberation(s). For an adjective, you can choose the poetic "reverberate" (pronounced "re VUR bur ut") or any of the more ordinary, non-poetic options: "reverberant," "reverbatory," reverberatory," or "reverberative." But seriously, when we need an adjective, I suggest we just stick with "reverberating." And for the adverb, as best as I can tell, we've just got "reverberantly."  How to use it: This word tends to be serious. The tone is often negative. You can be literal and talk about sounds and waves that reverberate. More often, we talk about news, events, conflicts, statements, stories, publications, rumors, issues, and decisions that reverberate. You can simply say that those things reverberate. Or that things reverberate with some quality, aspect, or emotion: "writing that reverberates with natural imagery," "a country that reverberates with anger." Or that things    reverberate locally,    reverberate globally,    reverberate down the halls,    reverberate across the state,    reverberate around the nation,    reverberate across the Internet,    reverberate through an industry or society,    reverberate throughout your lifetime, etc.  examples: Twenty years after the tornado, Kissimmee residents still feel its reverberations. "Machado’s story thematically unwinds these ideas in a way that science, so far, cannot. Memories lived by a mother reverberate within her daughter’s body, even as they remain unknowable to her."    — Erika Hayasaki, Slate, 27 June 2018, in reference to Carmen Maria Machado's "A Brief and Fearful Star" study it now: Look away from the screen to define "reverberate" without saying "echo" or "ramify." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ sent reverberations into _____." Example: "'Sit down and be quiet,' the teacher had said. The sharp tone sent reverberations into the child's heart, which she continued to feel all afternoon." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Complete the Clichés! In each issue this month, I'll present a general theme and a handful of common expressions that apply to it--but only the first few words of each expression. See if you can complete them!  To keep things interesting, I've picked a mixture of phrases both new and familiar to me. I hope some will pique your curiosity and inspire you to Google them for their meanings and backstories. (Please try that first, and if your search turns up empty, email me for help.) If you're playing this game with the kids in your family or your class, you might enjoy talking together about what the phrases mean. Enjoy! In the previous issue, the theme was "Make Your Point:" A. An _________ around the neck B. Pull yourself up by the _________ C. The devil _________ D. Cut the _______ knot E. _____ for the mill F. Meet your ________ G. Go on the _______ Answers: A. An albatross around the neck B. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps C. The devil incarnate D. Cut the Gordian knot E. Grist for the mill F. Meet your waterloo G. Go on the warpath Try this last set today. The theme is "Hey, that reminds me of a Make Your Point word:" A. To tilt at...  (reminds you of "qu_____c") B. Afraid of his own...  (reminds you of "M_______st") C. To throw the apple... (reminds you of "er___ic") D. To burn the midnight...  (reminds you of "l________ons") E. To cast into... (reminds you of "o_____ze") review today's word: 1. A close opposite of REVERBERATING is A. DEFIANT. B. NEGLIGIBLE. C. UNASSUMING. 2. Nixon's simple "I hereby resign" reverberated _____. A. across a nation in need of healing B. against an earlier televised address C. into the scandals that led him to that point Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. A