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Glite Dictionary
🔊 A heavy sound 👊 To hit hard ❤️ To beat strongly
to thump

to thump

10 3.5
To make strong regular beats you can feel in your chest
  • verb
  • /θʌmp/
translation icon : latir
  • After her morning workout, she noticed that her heart was still thumping rapidly from the exercise.
  • heart thumping
  • heartbeat thumping
  • thumping wildly

So I went home and lay down in bed on the Saturday night and woke up the following Thursday and my head was literally thumping.

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Examples

  • I heard Momma and Daddy whispering in their room, and my heart began to thump fast and hard.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • For a while, I remained there, my eyes closed, my heart thumping against my chest.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I can hear the TikTok from the clock on the wall as it meshes with the thump thump beat of my heart.

  • When I joined the queue my heart was thumping.

    On Chesil Beach (2018)

  • Putting her hand on her chest to still her thumping heart, she quavered, "What are you doing here?"

    Fiction book (1991)

  • I'd turned around as Stephen spoke to me, my heart thumping unpleasantly.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Wouldn't it be better if I waited a little longer... until my heart stops thumping so?

    Fiction book (1991)

  • My heart's thumping.

    How to Steal a Million (1966)

  • As I climbed the steep stairs, I could feel my heart thumping in my chest from the effort.

  • During the suspenseful movie, my heart started thumping loudly as the climax approached.

Synonyms

to beat
vsto thump
  • NSFW
∞ 1.2

To hit something or someone again and again, making a rhythm

is specifically a steady heavy internal rhythmic sound not physical striking
to pound
vsto thump
98 2.6

To beat strongly and regularly, like a heart or drum

is heavy and rhythmic but less violently forceful
to pulse
vsto thump
20 4.2

To move in a steady rhythm like a heart

is the same motion but with a heavier audible sound
to drum
vsto thump
18 1.3

To make a continuous rhythmic sound by hitting a surface

is a single heavy internal sound rather than continuous instrument noise
to pulsate
vsto thump
13 4.1

To beat or move in a steady rhythm

is a heavy rhythmic sound rather than focus on expansion or contraction
to throb
vsto thump
8 3.1

To beat or pulse strongly, often with pain and strong feeling

is a heavy steady sound without the usual emotional or painful sense

Idioms

ecky thump
  • Archaic
9.9

A short shout showing surprise or disbelief

Phrasal Verbs

to thump out
1 7.0

To play a strong, repeated beat by hitting an instrument like a drum

How Strong

to pound
98 2.6
to thump
10 3.5
beat
299 1.0
to pulse
20 4.2
to flutter
8 4.4

Surface Forms

thump infinitive
thumped past
thumped past participle
thumping present participle
thumps third person singular

Etymology

Thump for the heart comes from the same sound image — people used 'thump' to copy a heavy beat. That's why when your heart thumps it means a strong, steady 'beat' that you can feel.