Looking up...
echoed
/ˈɛkoʊd/
What does "echoed" mean?
repeated or reflectedHer laughter echoed through the empty hall.
Her laughter was repeated or reflected by the empty hall's walls.
How to use "echoed" correctly?
general
To be repeated or reverberated as a sound, often after the original source has stopped.
The gunshot echoed through the canyon.
The sound of the gunshot was repeated by the canyon walls.
His words echoed in her mind long after he left.
His words were repeatedly recalled or lingered in her thoughts.
Often used metaphorically to describe the lingering effect of words, ideas, or emotions.
formal
To repeat or imitate something said or done by someone else.
The politician echoed the concerns raised by the community.
The politician repeated or mirrored the concerns expressed by the community.
Common in political or social contexts where someone adopts another's stance or language.
Collocations
echoed throughrepeated or reverberated inechoed inlingered in or was recalled in
Pro Tip
Metaphorical vs. Literal Use
Distinguish between literal echoes (sound bouncing back) and metaphorical echoes (ideas or emotions lingering). For example, 'Her words echoed in his mind' is metaphorical, while 'The shout echoed in the valley' is literal.
Gold Rule
Echoed as a Verb
Use 'echoed' to describe either the repetition of a sound or the lingering effect of words, ideas, or emotions. Avoid using it as a noun unless referring to the Greek mythological figure.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'ekchen', from Old French 'e(s)choer', from Latin 'echo', from Greek 'ἠχώ' (ēkhō), personification of the nymph Echo in Greek mythology, who could only repeat the last words of others.
Usage Notes
The verb 'echo' is often used in both literal (sound) and metaphorical (ideas, emotions) contexts. The past tense 'echoed' is commonly used in narratives to describe the lingering impact of an event or statement.
Word Breakdown
echo
sound repeated or reflected
root-ed
past tense marker
suffixEnglish Dictionary