throbbing

[throb-ing]

adjective

1. beating or pulsing rapidly or forcefully, as the heart under the influence of emotion or excitement.

   One may use a sweet, patient tone and words, but the throbbing vein in the temple betrays one’s anger.

2. feeling or exhibiting strong emotion or passion.

   As he spoke to the students crashing the climate convention, he was clearly thrilled to be there in that throbbing mass of youthful exuberance.

3. pulsating or vibrating regularly.

   The throbbing sound was now at full volume, and it was indeed drums—deep, heavy goatskin drums.

4. being or feeling pain that occurs in rhythmic waves or bursts.

   A sinus infection often results in a throbbing headache.

   He pounded on the closed door, but with no effect apart from a throbbing fist.

5. full of or characterized by lively energy.

   This throbbing metropolis is also the world capital of salsa.

noun

1. the act of beating fast or forcefully, pulsating or vibrating, or occurring in rhythmic waves.

   The pain in his shoulder had subsided to a dull throbbing.

   Astronomers have measured the throbbing of a sun-like star 24 light-years away.

2. the act or fact of feeling or exhibiting strong emotion or passion.

   The throbbing of my rage was so powerful that the ground trembled.

3. lively energy.

   Feel the throbbing of the world’s cultures at the annual international festival this weekend!

Other Word Forms

• throbbingly adverb
• unthrobbing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of throbbing¹

First recorded in 1400–50; throb ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; throb ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Example Sentences

On the second track, “Bumpy,” what sounds like a sonic rendering of an exploding box of crayons leads to a throbbing pulse that could be a sentient computer’s ticking heart.

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It was like a dull, throbbing ache, or a sharp, twisty, stabbing feeling—oh, why were things becoming indescribable all of a sudden?

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Researchers here are developing the extraordinarily sounding "organ-on-a-chip" technology, conjuring up alarming images of throbbing brains and beating hearts sitting on top of electronic circuits.

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They can last from a couple of minutes to days and the pain can be sharp, dull, throbbing or stabbing and sometimes spread beyond your head to your scalp, face or even your neck.

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The throbbing “On the Prowl” sounds at first like the story of a guy hitting the streets looking for a good time but upon closer listening seems more like a serial killer cruising for victims.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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• arduous 
• awful 
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• dire 
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• excruciating 
• hard 
• harrowing 
• heart-wrenching 
• hurtful 
• severe 
• tedious 
• terrible 
• troublesome 
• uncomfortable 
• unpleasant