pulsate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to expand and contract rhythmically, as the heart; beat; throb.
- Synonyms:
- pulse
-
to vibrate; quiver.
verb
-
to expand and contract with a rhythmic beat; throb
-
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.
England survived a scare to qualify for the Super Eights at the T20 World Cup on Monday as Italy's swashbuckling chase of 203 fell agonisingly short in a pulsating match in Kolkata.
From Barron's
Rampant Scotland bounced back from Six Nations defeat by Italy to blow England away in a bonus-point win in a pulsating Calcutta Cup at a riotous Murrayfield.
From BBC
In happier scenes, figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin produced a pulsating routine to see off Japan and retain the team title for the United States.
From Barron's
US star Ilia Malinin saw off a resurgent Japan with a pulsating routine to keep the Olympic team figure skating gold in American hands on Sunday.
From Barron's
The arteries of the capital and other major cities pulsated with people.
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.
