- present participle of thunder.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thundering
before 1100; Middle English thundring, Old English thunring thunder. See thunder, -ing 2, -ing 1
Explanation
Thundering describes a sound that is deep and resounding—or resembling thunder. The thundering sound of feet hurrying down the hall is one sign that school's over for the day. The sound of a thunderstorm can be described as thundering of course, but so can other loud, booming noises. You might love the thundering sound of a rock concert but hate the thundering voice of an angry parent scolding a child. This adjective comes from the verb thunder, which we can trace back to a root that means "resound."
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.
That was the beginning of the chants, arguably louder than for any other player in Dodger Stadium history, stronger than Moo-kie, deeper than Fred-die, chants thundering enough to seemingly be heard for a lifetime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 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
This city may be small, but in 1926 it became immortal, the place where a fiesta, thundering hooves, and a novel collided to shape modern legend.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
Off a big scrum and a penalty advantage, Bundee Aki went thundering at the heart of the Brumbies.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025
When Magdalys looked up, an armored triceratops was thundering toward her, its sharp beak-like snout inches above the ground, those three horns aimed directly at Magdalys.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
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.
