echoed

/ˈɛkoʊd/
repeated or reflected

Her laughter echoed through the empty hall.

Her laughter was repeated or reflected by the empty hall's walls.


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
suffix
English Dictionary