rattling
Americanadjective
-
that rattles.
a rattling door.
-
remarkably good, lively, or fast.
a rattling talk; a rattling gallop.
adverb
adverb
Other Word Forms
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.
Rattling the financial markets and U.S. voters alike, the California-based Silicon Valley Bank and New York-based Signature Bank failed over the course of a weekend and required government intervention.
From Washington Times • Mar. 30, 2023
Rattling through these targets only bolsters Ireland's belief that they can reach more heights.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2023
Rattling: “When there’s small, micro bumps within the turns and it’s not smooth. It’s bumpy underfoot.”
From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2022
Rattling off names, he pointed to over a dozen players who now live in the United States.
From Reuters • Nov. 30, 2021
First, we went behind the house and between two banks of azaleas we found Rattling Brook, gurgling and bouncing topsy-turvy over stones.
From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz
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.
