thunder
Americannoun
-
a loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge.
-
any loud, resounding noise.
the thunder of applause.
-
a threatening or startling utterance, denunciation, or the like.
verb (used without object)
-
thunders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thundered,
past participle, past
-
thundering
present participle
-
to give forth thunder (often used impersonally with it as the subject).
It thundered last night.
-
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.
-
to speak in a very loud tone.
-
to move or go with a loud noise or violent action.
The train thundered through the village.
verb (used with object)
-
thunders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thundered,
past participle, past
-
thundering
present participle
idioms
noun
-
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
-
to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him or her
verb
-
to make (a loud sound) or utter (words) in a manner suggesting thunder
-
(intr; with it as subject) to be the case that thunder is being heard
-
(intr) to move fast and heavily
the bus thundered downhill
-
(intr) to utter vehement threats or denunciation; rail
-
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.
-
See Note at lightning
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
thundersimple
-
thunderssimple
-
have thunderedperfect
-
has thunderedperfect
-
am thunderingprogressive
-
are thunderingprogressive
-
is thunderingprogressive
-
have been thunderingperfect progressive
-
has been thunderingperfect progressive
Past
-
thunderedsimple
-
had thunderedperfect
-
was thunderingprogressive
-
were thunderingprogressive
-
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:
Sunshine and showers will be the dominant theme, with northern and eastern regions seeing the greatest concentration of these, and possibly hail and thunder too.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Micron Technology may be about to steal Nvidia’s thunder and underscore its increasing relevance to the broader stock market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
The crack of the bat echoed the thunder that had been rumbling outside of the roofed ballpark for much of the afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
While inside, I heard what sounded like thunder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Whenever a plane travels that fast, it creates a shock wave called a sonic boom that sounds like a loud clap of thunder.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Another scene, in which a captured German officer demands the young private’s name and Mainwaring thunders: “Don’t tell him, Pike” is routinely voted one of Britain’s funniest TV moments.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
"I wanted to come and imagine where each of them was sitting," she explained, gesturing to different points on the ground as traffic thunders by.
From BBC ● Jan. 17, 2024
The secretary of state’s “silence thunders in my ears and heart,” the rabbi wrote.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2023
Yet this new chamber music triptych dances more than it thunders.
From New York Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
Flo thunders next to us, each footstep echoing in the silence.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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
"Where is the money?" supporters of Magyar's party, Tisza, thundered in unison, referring to accusations against local Fidesz politicians over millions of euros of public funds that have gone missing.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
As the sweeping “O Fortuna” movement of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana thundered over the loudspeakers, he rose from underneath the stage while sitting on a badass, none-more-black throne decorated with skulls and a gigantic bat.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025
But now, as it thundered over a sheer wall of rock, it was appalling in its fury.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
When we reached the top, the mighty falls thundering above us, triumph flickered across her face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Noise level, given we're dealing with state-of-the-art racing machines thundering around a circuit, is actually a big talking point currently and particularly pertinent for neurodivergent fans.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
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
“I’ve had hundreds of kids thundering through my pub, Potter!”
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
