French Conversation · Level 105
58 words
French word
retentir
Pronunciation
IPA/ʁətɑ̃tiʁ/
Meaning
- verbring out
Example
La cloche retentit dans le village.
The bell rang out in the village.
More examples
Les applaudissements retentissent dans la salle.
The applause rings out in the hall.
Core concept
One loud sound expanding across a space, returning from surfaces and lingering in the air.
Common phrases
la cloche retentit
The bell rings out
les applaudissements retentissent
the applause rings out
retentir de rire
ring with laughter
Similar words
sonner: To make a ringing sound, as a bell or telephone does.
résonner: To resonate in a space so that the sound seems amplified.
Definition in French
Faire résonner fortement un son dans un espace, souvent de façon soudaine ou prolongée, en raison de sa propagation et de ses retours acoustiques.
Word origin
Old French retentir derives from Latin retinnire, which combines re- with tinnire, 'to ring'.
Usage tips
- The construction retentir de + noun describes a place filled with a sound, as in retentir de coups.
Other meanings
- echoverb
Opposites
- s'éteindrego outverb
- s'atténuerweakenverb
Related words
- retentissementreverberationnoun
- retentissantresoundingadjective