- producing or capable of producing sound
- (of language, sound, etc) deep or resonant
- (esp of speech) high-flown; grandiloquent
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
so•no•rous /səˈnɔrəs, ˈsɑnərəs/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- echoing with a deep sound; resonant:a sonorous cavern.
- loud and deep-toned:a sonorous voice.
- high-flown;
very grand or fancy in speaking or in sound:a sonorous speech.
so•no•rous
(sə nôr′əs, -nōr′-, son′ər əs),USA pronunciation adj.
so•no′rous•ly, adv.
so•no′rous•ness, n.
- giving out or capable of giving out a sound, esp. a deep, resonant sound, as a thing or place:a sonorous cavern.
- loud, deep, or resonant, as a sound.
- rich and full in sound, as language or verse.
- high-flown;
grandiloquent:a sonorous speech.
- Latin sonōrus noisy, sounding, equivalent. to sonōr-, stem of sonor sound (son(āre) to sound1 + -or -or1) + -us -ous
- 1605–15
so•no′rous•ness, n.
- 4. eloquent, florid, grandiose, orotund.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
sonorous /səˈnɔːrəs; ˈsɒnərəs/ adj
'sonorous' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):