to palpitate
1
8.4
- verb
- /ˈpæl.pɪ.teɪt/
:
palpitar
- Like a child in its mother's house that requests no guidance, he bent himself to this restorative volume, excluding others, since as he looked to the palpitating surge of his own heart, he understood the armature and structure of the world.
Examples
-
I had to dither there, all palpitating and pink and not knowing, a tiny bit longer until the door opened and a proper bit of birthday happened for me.
Fiction book (1998) -
She was so close to the door's far side that Briephs could hear her palpitating breaths.
Fiction book (2000) -
She had not learned to drive until she was in her forties, and the car lurched and wavered and came to sudden stops that made his heart palpitate when he sat in the passenger's seat, never moving smoothly the way it would have if his hand had been on the wheel.
Fiction book (2002) -
As she stepped onto the stage, her heart began to palpitate with excitement.
-
When he saw the surprise party, he could feel his pulse palpitate with joy.
-
The thought of meeting her hero made her nerves palpitate with apprehension.
Synonyms
47
4.5
To shake in small, quick movements because of fear, cold, or excitement
8
3.1
To beat or pulse strongly, often with pain and strong feeling
8
4.4
To have the heart beat quickly and unevenly, often from excitement or nervousness
4
9.9
Make small, fast, irregular twitching movements in a muscle, especially the heart
1
5.2
To feel your heart beat faster from excitement, fear, or nervous waiting
Antonyms
How Trembling
Surface Forms
Morphology
palpitate = palpit + ate
Formed from the bound root 'palpit' + the verb-forming suffix '-ate'; the root is not a standalone English word and the formation is not transparently analyzable by typical learners.
Etymology
Palpitate comes from the Latin palpitare, 'to flutter', and is related to the word palpable ('able to be felt'). A helpful image is something trembling or fluttering so you can almost feel the quick, small beats when it palpitates.