DictionaryAI

sonorous

adjective
SAH-ner-uhs/ˈsɑːn.ɚ.əs/UKSON-uh-ruhs/ˈsɒn.əɹ.əs/

3 meanings of sonorous

Practice

  1. 1
    deep ringingadjective
    Deep, full and rich in sound, like a big bell, a strong voice or grand poetry.

    The big drum was sonorous and filled the whole gym with sound.

    Grandpa sang the old song in a slow, sonorous voice.

    Note
  2. 2
    big wordsadjective
    Using too many words, or big, showy words.

    His sonorous letter used big words to say almost nothing.

    The speech was long and sonorous, full of fancy words but no real ideas.

    Similargrandiloquent, bombastic, pompous, high-flown

    Oppositeplain

Less common meaning

  1. 3
    adjective
    Describes a speech sound made while air flows out freely, with little to block it.

Practice

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Origin

From the Latin word for "sound".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

  • Sonorous ultimately derives from a Latin word meaning “sound”, sonor. en.wiktionary.org