pulsate
Americanverb (used without object)
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to expand and contract rhythmically, as the heart; beat; throb.
- Synonyms:
- pulse
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to vibrate; quiver.
verb
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to expand and contract with a rhythmic beat; throb
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physics to vary in intensity, magnitude, size, etc
the current was pulsating
-
to quiver or vibrate
Related Words
Pulsate, beat, palpitate, throb refer to the recurrent vibratory movement of the heart, the pulse, etc. To pulsate is to move in a definite rhythm, temporarily or for a longer duration: Blood pulsates in the arteries. To beat is to repeat a vibration or pulsation regularly for some time: One's heart beats many times a minute. To palpitate is to beat at a rapid rate, often producing a flutter: to palpitate with excitement. To throb is to beat with an unusual force that is often associated with pain or heightened emotion or sensation: to throb with terror.
Other Word Forms
- nonpulsating adjective
- pulsative adjective
- pulsatively adverb
- unpulsating adjective
Etymology
Origin of pulsate
1785–95; < Latin pulsātus, past participle of pulsāre to batter, strike, make (strings) vibrate. See pulse 1, -ate 1
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.
They pulsate, drip, twist, ooze, squirm and sometimes even metamorphose, and when they were displayed alongside the menacing work of the “Alien” artist H.R.
From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2023
Come 8 September, Paris will pulsate to the prospect of hosts France taking on three-time champions New Zealand in the tournament's opening match.
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2022
It’s easy to get swept away in the enchanting and immersive images, sounds and songs of “Neptune Frost,” to simply ride the waves of vibes that pulsate and radiate from the film’s core.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2022
The first rung—that is, the one concerning the nearest cosmic objects—relies on geometric parallax to determine the distance to special stars called Cepheid variables, which pulsate in proportion to their intrinsic luminosity.
From Scientific American • Apr. 18, 2022
His eyes bulged, and blood vessels in his throat began to pulsate, until at length I lowered the jug.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
