reverb

noun

re·​verb ˈrē-ˌvərb  ri-ˈvərb 

plural reverbs

1

: an electronically produced echo effect in live and recorded music

The new record is shrouded in damp clouds of reverb, with faint impressions of its jangling guitars sneaking through like the sun behind an overcast sky.

—Jude Noel

[Lykke] Li's vocals are soaked in reverb, guitars and drums echoing in the background, turning the song into a dark, emotional plea from a heartbroken lover.

—Shaina Pearlman

The audience will hear the orchestra acoustically and the effects pedals through the amplification system. Those effects will include vibrato, distortions, pitch and timbral modulations, echoes and reverbs.

—Kerry Clawson

a reverb effect/sound

2

: something (such as a device, a feature, or a software application) for producing reverb

Thankfully, Vox added a built-in reverb into the amp …

—Alexander Briones

—usually used before another noun

analog/digital reverb units

adjusted the reverb settings

When you buy a reverb pedal, there's almost always a knob that lets you select the type of reverb that you want.

—Michael Pierce and Giulio Chiarenza

Examples of reverb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gobs of reverb, with sweetness at the edges, conveyed his lovelorn bloat. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2024

In Jack Antonoff’s hands, what Malin envisioned as a hard-charging rock number becomes a woozy, atmospheric trip immersed in reverb and layered vocals, and sets the tone for an album where reinvention is encouraged. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2024

There are mono, stereo, reverse and tape-style delays, and four different reverb pedal options, including a small room sound, a large hall, a 1965-style spring reverb and a large hall reverb with modulation on it. —New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2024

Editing functions: Adjustable stereo width, adjustable EQ and reverb, multitracking and mixing, metronome and import, automatic audio/video sync. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for reverberation

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined at sense 1