pulsate

[ puhl-seyt ]

verb (used without object)

, pul·sat·ed, pul·sat·ing.

1. to expand and contract rhythmically, as the heart; beat; throb.

   Synonyms: pulse

2. to vibrate; quiver.

pulsate

/ pʌlˈseɪt; ˈpʌlsətɪv /

verb

1. to expand and contract with a rhythmic beat; throb
2. physics to vary in intensity, magnitude, size, etc

   the current was pulsating

3. to quiver or vibrate

Derived Forms

• ˈpulsatively, adverb
• pulsative, adjective

Other Words From

• non·pulsat·ing adjective
• un·pulsat·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pulsate¹

1785–95; < Latin pulsātus, past participle of pulsāre to batter, strike, make (strings) vibrate. See pulse ¹, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of pulsate¹

C18: from Latin pulsāre to push

Synonym Study

Pulsate, beat, palpitate, throb refer to the recurrent vibratory movement of the heart, the pulse, etc. To pulsate is to move in a definite rhythm, temporarily or for a longer duration: Blood pulsates in the arteries. To beat is to repeat a vibration or pulsation regularly for some time: One's heart beats many times a minute. To palpitate is to beat at a rapid rate, often producing a flutter: to palpitate with excitement. To throb is to beat with an unusual force that is often associated with pain or heightened emotion or sensation: to throb with terror.

Example Sentences

The channel has pulsated with activity all week, including rapidly evolving information, such as which gates may become open for a few minutes to let evacuees through.

From Washington Post

These high-tech pieces of furniture offer powerful kneading, rubbing and pulsating pressures to teach your muscles a lesson in relaxation.

From Popular-Science

As the sun sunk low in the sky, a golden glow illuminated the pulsating grasses all around me, and I felt as though I was traipsing through a postcard.

From Outside Online

School boards across San Diego County have been pulsating with drama and tension over the past year and many of those disputes can be traced to reopening during the pandemic.

From Voice of San Diego

The Cassiopea jellies, about four inches long, spend most of their time upside down, tentacles reaching toward the ocean surface, and pulsating to push seawater through their bodies.

From Quanta Magazine

Infinity Mirrored Room consists of roughly one hundred multicolored LED lights that pulsate at various speeds and patterns.

From The Daily Beast

All day the rain had been pending; all night it had held off until the whole earth seemed to pulsate with the desire for relief.

From Project Gutenberg

If this is the case the pus may pulsate if present in large quantity.

From Project Gutenberg

Great waves seem to pulsate from the body into the wings, and with each wave goes color and strength.

From Project Gutenberg

Her heart began to pulsate proudly and in delight, for she saw that Cayamo had secured a scalp, the scalp of a Navajo!

From Project Gutenberg

In his lecture notes Harvey, in dealing with the heart, speaks of the right auricle as "the last to pulsate."

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• quiver
• throb
• vibrate