thump
Americannoun
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a blow with something thick and heavy, producing a dull sound; a heavy knock.
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the sound made by or as if by such a blow.
verb (used with object)
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to strike or beat with something thick and heavy, so as to produce a dull sound; pound.
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(of an object) to strike against (something) heavily and noisily.
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Informal. to thrash severely.
verb (used without object)
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to strike, beat, or fall heavily, with a dull sound.
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to walk with heavy steps; pound.
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to palpitate or beat violently, as the heart.
noun
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the sound of a heavy solid body hitting or pounding a comparatively soft surface
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a heavy blow with the hand
he gave me a thump on the back
verb
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(tr) to strike or beat heavily; pound
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(intr) to throb, beat, or pound violently
his heart thumped with excitement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thumpsimple
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thumpssimple
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have thumpedperfect
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has thumpedperfect
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am thumpingprogressive
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are thumpingprogressive
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is thumpingprogressive
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have been thumpingperfect progressive
-
has been thumpingperfect progressive
Past
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thumpedsimple
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had thumpedperfect
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was thumpingprogressive
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were thumpingprogressive
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had been thumpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thump
First recorded in 1530–40; imitative
Explanation
A thump is a hard, thudding sound, or an equally hard hit or blow, like the thump your older brother gives you when you embarrass him in front of his friends. If you drop your backpack full of books it'll make a thump as it hits the floor. And, if your friend starts to choke on his lemonade at lunch, you might want to give him a thump on the back. You can also thump enthusiastically on a drum. Thump is an imitative word, one that mimics the sound of hitting something heavily. It dates from the sixteenth century.
Vocabulary lists containing thump
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 5
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Shiloh
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Neighborhood Odes
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Though the Thump truck might not meet a classic car show’s requirements, its contents definitely do.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025
A play on the White Stripes 2007 album, "Icky Thump."
From Salon • Nov. 12, 2024
After being traded to the 76ers, he formed one half of the Thump and Bump duo with Charles Barkley.
From Washington Post • Mar. 14, 2023
A one-time employee of Vice, where he helped found the electronic music website Thump, Miyashiro had the instincts for identifying and packaging compelling content.
From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2021
In my head The Mountain was chanting, Thump, thump, thump.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
