verb

echo

EHK-oh

verb

Of a sound, to bounce off a surface and be heard again; to reverberate.

"Her footsteps echoed down the empty corridor."

"Thunder echoed across the valley long after the flash of lightning."

To repeat or reflect someone else's words, opinion, or feeling.

"His speech echoed concerns that many voters had already raised."

noun

A sound reflected back to the listener; also, a repetition of an idea or feeling.

"The old man's worries were an echo of his father's."

How to Use Echo

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA sound bouncing back, or figuratively, an idea or feeling being repeated or reflected elsewhere.

Common pairings

echo through the hall faint echo echo someone's sentiments

Word Forms

echoed past tense, echoes singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “echo” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Her footsteps _____ down the empty corridor.

Etymology

From Greek ēkhṓ, "sound" or "echo," via Latin and Old French — in Greek myth, Echo was a nymph condemned by Hera to only repeat the last words spoken to her.