thud

American  

[thuhd] / θʌd /

noun

1. a dull sound, as of a heavy blow or fall.

2. a blow causing such a sound.

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verb (used without object)

thudded, thudding

1. to strike or fall with a dull sound of heavy impact.

thud British  

/ θʌd /

noun

1. a dull heavy sound

   the book fell to the ground with a thud

2. a blow or fall that causes such a sound

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verb

1. to make or cause to make such a sound

Other Word Forms

• thuddingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of thud

1505–15; imitative; compare Middle English thudden, Old English thyddan to strike, press

Explanation

To thud is to make the loud sound of something heavy hitting or falling. Tip your chair too far back and your body may thud against the floor. Throw an egg off a balcony onto the pavement below, and it will splat, but throw a heavy dumbbell off the same balcony and it will thud — you can call the sound it makes a thud as well. The verb originally meant "to strike, stab, or thrust," from the Old English imitative word þyddan, and the noun was used to mean "blast of wind" in the early sixteenth century.

Example Sentences

The discrepancy makes for a uniquely unnerving experience, especially in a theater with a decent sound system, where every unexpected thud can feel like it’s creeping in closer and closer.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

This one feels like it probably sounded really funny and smart at the table read, but it landed with a thud for the audience because the premise was so muddled.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

"We heard a bit of a thud and felt a tremor, and we saw a number of people moving quickly out of the shopping centre," he told the BBC.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

Two giants stare each other down before colliding with a dull thud.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

Then they breathed out again, with something like a sigh; and Henry, his eyes squeezed tight, and his knees giving way beneath him, fell with a thud to the carpet.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• bang
• thump