throb
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
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the act of throbbing.
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a violent beat or pulsation, as of the heart.
-
any pulsation or vibration.
the throb of engines.
verb
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to pulsate or beat repeatedly, esp with increased force
to throb with pain
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(of engines, drums, etc) to have a strong rhythmic vibration or beat
noun
Synonym Usage
See pulsate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have throbbedperfect
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has throbbedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been throbbingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am throbbingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been throbbingperfect progressive
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is throbbingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are throbbingprogressive
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throbbingparticiple
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throbssingular 3rd person
Past
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had throbbedperfect
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was throbbingprogressive singular
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had been throbbingperfect progressive
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throbbedsimple
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were throbbingprogressive plural
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throbbedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of throb
First recorded in 1325–75; unattested Middle English throbben, implied in present participle throbbant “throbbing”; further origin unknown
Explanation
Things that throb have a strong, regular pulse or rhythm. Loud music with a heavy beat or bass line can seem to throb inside your head — especially if your downstairs neighbors are playing it while you're trying to sleep. Your heartbeat throbs especially fast when you're upset or just after you've been running, and something painful can throb too, like the ache of a stubbed toe. No one's exactly sure where the word throb comes from — most experts guess that it originated as a representation of the sound and feeling of your pulse.
Vocabulary lists containing throb
That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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Dear Martin
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"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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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.
The braggadocious “Helicopter” has a piercing throb like a car alarm, while “Stole Ya Flow”—a diss track apparently addressed to Drake—has a curling and distorted drone winding through it, a rattlesnake-like warning.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
And so the throb of pain continues to course through her.
From BBC • May 7, 2025
In the often exquisite score, the strings throb and the woodwinds flutter.
From New York Times • May 6, 2024
The look and smell of the liquid made my head throb.
From Salon • Dec. 16, 2023
I hit the ground with a thud and a throb.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
