heartbeat
Americannoun
-
heartbeats
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartbeat
Explanation
That regular thumping in your chest is your heartbeat, the relaxation and contraction of your heart's chambers that sends blood flowing through your body. You may notice your heartbeat after you've been exercising vigorously, or when something really scares you. It's the rhythmic pulse that can be heard through a stethoscope as your heart works to pump your blood. Figuratively, a heartbeat is also a brief, quick moment, as in "It was over in a heartbeat," or something vitally important, as in "She was the heartbeat of our Girl Scout troop." Heartbeat comes from the "repeated strike of a drum" sense of beat.
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.
See Examples For:
Like the Collins hit, “My Lover” sounds like it could be a cover of something old and rare, because it’s perfectly, classically constructed, with a bass line like a heartbeat, driving it along.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
A tangled web of masterfully timed sound effects has unintentionally become the heartbeat of “Stamptown” .
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Matt McCoppin said he would try the stout "in a heartbeat", while Natalia Nowacka admitted she would be nervous, but still couldn't resist the opportunity.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
In today’s sluggish hiring environment, that four-week period could amount to a heartbeat.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Regan stood frozen, watching me for another heartbeat before sprinting for the platform.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The study, published in Autonomic Neuroscience, uncovered a striking left-right difference that may one day improve treatment strategies for irregular heartbeats, chest pain, angina, and stress-induced 'broken-heart' syndrome.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
Put tiny versions into cardiac patients to regulate heartbeats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
If left unchecked, dehydration can cause more serious complications, such as fainting and irregular heartbeats.
From Salon ● Jan. 21, 2025
Getting another ablation procedure, which could help treat irregular heartbeats by destroying tissue that causes abnormal electrical signals, remains an option after the initial monitoring period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2024
Mary Lou held her breath and counted her heartbeats.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
