thunder
Americannoun
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a loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge.
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any loud, resounding noise.
the thunder of applause.
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a threatening or startling utterance, denunciation, or the like.
verb (used without object)
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to give forth thunder (often used impersonally with it as the subject).
It thundered last night.
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to make a loud, resounding noise like thunder.
The artillery thundered in the hills.
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to utter loud or vehement denunciations, threats, or the like.
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to speak in a very loud tone.
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to move or go with a loud noise or violent action.
The train thundered through the village.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
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a loud cracking or deep rumbling noise caused by the rapid expansion of atmospheric gases which are suddenly heated by lightning
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any loud booming sound
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rare a violent threat or denunciation
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to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him or her
verb
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to make (a loud sound) or utter (words) in a manner suggesting thunder
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(intr; with it as subject) to be the case that thunder is being heard
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(intr) to move fast and heavily
the bus thundered downhill
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(intr) to utter vehement threats or denunciation; rail
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The explosive noise that accompanies a stroke of lightning. Thunder is a series of sound waves produced by the rapid expansion of the air through which the lightning passes. Sound travels about 1 km in 3 seconds (about 1 mi in 5 seconds). The distance between an observer and a lightning flash can be calculated by counting the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder.
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See Note at lightning
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thundersimple
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thunderssimple
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have thunderedperfect
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has thunderedperfect
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am thunderingprogressive
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are thunderingprogressive
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is thunderingprogressive
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have been thunderingperfect progressive
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has been thunderingperfect progressive
Past
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thunderedsimple
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had thunderedperfect
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was thunderingprogressive
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were thunderingprogressive
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had been thunderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thunder
before 900; (noun) Middle English thonder, thunder, Old English thunor; cognate with Dutch donder, German Donner; Old Norse thōrr Thor, literally, thunder; (v.) Middle English thondren, Old English thunrian, derivative of the v.; akin to Latin tonāre to thunder
Explanation
Thunder is the loud noise that comes right after lightning. It also can refer to a loud, booming sound, or mean to move heavily but quickly. Thunder is made up of the rumbles and cracks accompanying lightning during a thunderstorm. You can also use this word for other loud noises, like the thunder of a loud rock band or your uncle's booming voice. A powerful singer can be said to thunder, singing in a way that's as noisy and impressive as a thunderstorm. Thunder can also be used for big, fast movements, like a tank thundering across a field or a truck thundering down the highway.
Vocabulary lists containing thunder
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Crowds braved record heat to attend US President Donald Trump's grand July Fourth celebrations in Washington Saturday, until sharp winds, thunder and lightning prompted evacuations and the scene descended into chaos, anger and confusion.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
But the top note, the sauce, is the silence enveloping it all, peppered by the thunder of a squall just outside.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
The first four players trotted onto the court as their names were called and as “Sirius” battled the rising thunder of the crowd.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
On Tuesday, she wrote that Cody had died peacefully surrounded by family and “was welcomed into heaven as thunder bellowed outside, and we laughed because we knew it was a band of angels rejoicing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Right after a loud clap of thunder that all but shook the house down, Daisy said, “Boy, Old Thor must really be mad tonight.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Erling Haaland thunders his way into our top 10 as the definition of a traditional centre-forward.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
The secretary of state’s “silence thunders in my ears and heart,” the rabbi wrote.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2023
“Never darken my door again!” he thunders old-fashionedly, as though he’s subconsciously aware that the writers Kirsi Vikman and Jimmy Karlsson are drawing on centuries of love stories about savage men and civilizing women.
From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
“Right now there’s a lot of smoke plume and it oozes and thunders, the curtains shake,” Aquino said.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2023
The church thunders in applause, and I see Pop Pop in the back of the pews jump up and shout, “Saaaaaaang, Nessy!”
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
A world-cleansing storm has thundered ominously on the horizon ever since “The Bear” began.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Church bells pealed and cannons thundered when Americans learned that the Continental Congress had adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
When CNN co-moderator Elex Michaelson asked Villaraigosa if he would cancel California’s much-maligned high-speed rail project, the candidate’s emphatic “No” thundered down like a Lebron James dunk.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Nasa's Artemis II mission thundered away from Florida's coast, taking its four crew members on their historic journey to circle the Moon.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
The whole crowd of boys rose and thundered off the bleachers, white shoes shining and voices raised in a high-pitched whistle as the layup line formed inexpertly.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
As he dominated center stage, the thundering chorus of his speeches — “I am … somebody” — inspired his followers even as it sometimes sounded like a painful plea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
“It was raining straight down, it was thundering and it was 27 degrees,” he said, recalling watching the storm early Sunday morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
They had Toulouse rocking and they landed another blow, a rolling line-out maul thundering over the try-line with substitute Hiddleston touching down to give Warriors the lead for the first time.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
This city may be small, but in 1926 it became immortal, the place where a fiesta, thundering hooves, and a novel collided to shape modern legend.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
It was mostly guys stomping, cheering, hooting, thundering through the room, but some of the girls joined in too.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
