What does sonorousness mean?
Sonorousness is the quality of producing a full, rich, resonant sound. A voice, musical instrument, bell, or phrase may possess this quality when it has depth, warmth, and a strong carrying power. The noun can also describe the imposing, stately effect of language or writing that sounds grand and resonant. It is related to the adjective sonorous, commonly used in phrases such as a sonorous voice or sonorous prose. Although sonorousness is usually appreciative, the word can sometimes imply that a sound is excessively loud, heavy, or grandiose. In ordinary discussion, resonance is often the more natural alternative, but sonorousness is especially useful when emphasizing the richness and fullness of a sound.
nounThe quality of being sonorous: fullness, richness, and resonance of sound. It can also refer to the power or pleasing sonority of a voice, musical passage, or piece of writing.
- The quality of a sound, voice, or musical tone being full, rich, and resonant.
- The stylistic quality of language or writing as sounding grand, resonant, or imposing.
"The sonorousness of the actor's voice gave the proclamation an imposing resonance."
"The warm sonorousness of the cello filled the concert hall."
"His prose was admired for its dignity and rhetorical sonorousness."
Plural forms are possible but uncommon in ordinary usage.
"The composer's works explore contrasting sonorousnesses of strings and brass."
Sonorousness is the resonance that gives a voice depth, authority, and presence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sonorousness come from?
The word ultimately comes from Latin sonor, meaning "sound" or "resounding," which contributed to Latin sonorus, meaning "soundful," "resonant," or "pleasing to the ear." English borrowed the adjective sonorous and later formed the noun sonorousness from it. The same Latin root is reflected in sonority, a more technical term for resonance or sound quality.
Related word forms
How sonorousness is actually used
This is a formal or literary noun, somewhat less common in everyday speech than the adjective sonorous. It is especially associated with voices, music, bells, language, and ornate or ceremonial writing.
Easily confused with sonorousness
Sonorousness concerns the resonance and richness of a sound, whereas soundness concerns the quality or validity of a person, argument, or object.
Sincerity refers to honesty or genuineness, while sonorousness refers to the acoustic quality of a voice or sound.