thump

American  

[thuhmp] / θʌmp /

noun

1. a blow with something thick and heavy, producing a dull sound; a heavy knock.

2. the sound made by or as if by such a blow.

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verb (used with object)

1. to strike or beat with something thick and heavy, so as to produce a dull sound; pound.

2. (of an object) to strike against (something) heavily and noisily.

3. Informal. to thrash severely.

verb (used without object)

1. to strike, beat, or fall heavily, with a dull sound.

2. to walk with heavy steps; pound.

3. to palpitate or beat violently, as the heart.

thump British  

/ θʌmp /

noun

1. the sound of a heavy solid body hitting or pounding a comparatively soft surface

2. a heavy blow with the hand

   he gave me a thump on the back

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verb

1. (tr) to strike or beat heavily; pound

2. (intr) to throb, beat, or pound violently

   his heart thumped with excitement

Other Word Forms

• thumper noun
• unthumped adjective

Etymology

Origin of thump

First recorded in 1530–40; imitative

Example Sentences

In other videos we verified from the night of the fire, some people in the bar can be seen filming the flames as loud club music thumps in the background.

From BBC

"One of them put its head down and started thumping the ground. I was terrified. I couldn't escape," she added.

From BBC

When we clap someone on the back, we can, however unintentional, inadvertently be thumping someone else.

From MarketWatch

The drum thumps were meant to evoke their emotions.

From Los Angeles Times

The beauty of using one of the best pop melodies of all time is that it’s already engineered for success, so MCR-T keeps it simple and silly with the addition of a thumping, four-to-the-floor beat.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• thud