rattling
Americanadjective
-
that rattles.
a rattling door.
-
remarkably good, lively, or fast.
a rattling talk; a rattling gallop.
adverb
adverb
Other Word Forms
- rattlingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of rattling
Explanation
A rattling is a quick, often unsteady, burst of sounds. The sound of a rattlesnake is a good example of a rattling. You know how a baby rattle sounds? That kind of quick collection of sounds can be called a rattling. A rattling is disjointed and fast. Some machines — like a car engine — make a rattling sound when they're broken. The rattling of a rattlesnake’s tail is a sign you could be in serious danger from this venomous snake. Sometimes a doctor will hear a rattling in the lungs that indicates a respiratory illness. A rattling can also be called a rattle.
Vocabulary lists containing rattling
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
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Muffled
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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.
“There will be more saber rattling over the Strait this week, and that could rattle markets and extend this stock market correction.”
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
The blockade is rattling markets, but stocks are not giving up a lot of gains from last week, which came as the U.S. and Iran agreed on a cease-fire set to last two weeks.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
“But you’re not rattling them off. They’re people that mean something to you; that you couldn’t be here without them.”
From Salon • Mar. 16, 2026
Reports from the region said Iranian forces have intensified strikes on vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, leaving hundreds of ships stranded at its entrances and rattling global oil markets.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026
“Keep it up!” yelled Shifa, rattling from side to side.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
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.
