Echo
'ɛkoʊ
Definitions
3 meaningsA sound or series of sounds caused by the reflection of sound waves from a surface back to the listener.
'ɛkoʊ
A reflected sound
The mountains gave back an echo of my shout.
💡 Simply: It's like when you yell in a big space and hear your voice come back at you! Imagine yelling 'hello' in a cave and hearing 'hello' again.
👶 For kids: When you make a sound and it bounces back to you!
More Examples
The archaeologist heard an echo in the ancient ruins.
The loud echo in the tunnel made him cover his ears.
How It's Used
"The sound of the gunshot created an echo that reverberated through the canyon."
"Her words lingered like an echo in the silent room."
To repeat or reflect a sound; to repeat or restate something said by another person.
'ɛkoʊ
To repeat a sound or to repeat what someone says
The mountains echoed with the hikers' laughter.
💡 Simply: To echo is like when something repeats what you said, either in sound or in words. Like when you're trying to get someone's attention and they repeat back what you said!
👶 For kids: To say something again, like a parrot!
More Examples
She carefully echoed his instructions.
His words echoed in my mind long after he was gone.
The microphone will echo everything you say.
How It's Used
"The parrot echoed every word the child said."
"The politician's speech echoed the sentiments of the public."
Something that resembles or imitates something else; a close representation or parallel.
'ɛkoʊ
A close imitation or representation
The style of the new album was seen as an echo of their early work.
💡 Simply: If something is an echo of something else, it’s a lot like it or repeats a similar idea. If a new movie feels like a copy of an old movie, you could say it's an echo of the original.
👶 For kids: Something that's almost the same as something else!
More Examples
The events of the past seemed to be an echo of history repeating itself.
The protesters' chants were an echo of the popular discontent.
How It's Used
"The new policy was seen as an echo of the old one."
"Her painting was an echo of her favorite artist's style."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
echo chamber
An environment in which a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered.
"Social media algorithms can create an echo chamber, where users only see content that confirms their existing beliefs."
From Greek ἠχώ (ēchṓ), the name of a nymph in Greek mythology, meaning 'sound, noise'. The word entered English in the late 14th century.
In historical texts, 'echo' was often used figuratively to describe the repetition of ideas or themes in literature.
Memory tip
Think of shouting in a canyon and hearing the sound bounce back.
Word Origin
"sound, voice"