throb
Americanverb (used without object)
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throbs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
throbbed,
past participle, past
-
throbbing
present participle
noun
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throbs
plural
-
the act of throbbing.
-
a violent beat or pulsation, as of the heart.
-
any pulsation or vibration.
the throb of engines.
verb
-
to pulsate or beat repeatedly, esp with increased force
to throb with pain
-
(of engines, drums, etc) to have a strong rhythmic vibration or beat
noun
Synonym Usage
See pulsate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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throbsimple
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throbssimple
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have throbbedperfect
-
has throbbedperfect
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am throbbingprogressive
-
are throbbingprogressive
-
is throbbingprogressive
-
have been throbbingperfect progressive
-
has been throbbingperfect progressive
Past
-
throbbedsimple
-
had throbbedperfect
-
was throbbingprogressive
-
were throbbingprogressive
-
had been throbbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of throb
First recorded in 1325–75; unattested Middle English throbben, implied in present participle throbbant “throbbing”; further origin unknown
Explanation
Things that throb have a strong, regular pulse or rhythm. Loud music with a heavy beat or bass line can seem to throb inside your head — especially if your downstairs neighbors are playing it while you're trying to sleep. Your heartbeat throbs especially fast when you're upset or just after you've been running, and something painful can throb too, like the ache of a stubbed toe. No one's exactly sure where the word throb comes from — most experts guess that it originated as a representation of the sound and feeling of your pulse.
Vocabulary lists containing throb
That Hurts! Synonyms for "Pain"
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Dear Martin
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"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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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.
See Examples For:
They are deep enough to create a distant shore of the imagination, where readers can live as castaways from cable news, TikTok and the dull throb of the ordinary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
And so the throb of pain continues to course through her.
From BBC ● May 7, 2025
In the often exquisite score, the strings throb and the woodwinds flutter.
From New York Times ● May 6, 2024
A new scene opens on a translucent blob with twisty veins that seems to throb, which is revealed to be a portion of a voluminous, sheer sleeve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2023
A couple scary images tumbled through my brain, but they were just loose background stuff barely resonating behind the throb of the music and the steady lick of cool air caressing my skin.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
The production, co-created and directed by Moisés Kaufman, throbs with lip-synchable pop hits of such eclectic range that the dance club energy eventually ensnares everybody.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2024
Such waves can be detected in the way the star’s light pulses and throbs.
From Science Magazine ● Dec. 13, 2023
My heart throbs in my jaw: so close.
From Slate ● Apr. 29, 2023
But that’s OK, since van den Brink’s film throbs with suspense and lobs oddball scares, like an uncanny scene in which Betriek encounters a possessed kid in an elevator.
From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2022
Then finally she said: 'You know how we always been—we nearly all the time understand each other pretty well without any kind of throbs either way.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
But while Kyrgios said his wrist "throbbed" after the Brisbane comeback, it was quickly clear it was the abdominal issue hampering him against Fearnley.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2025
Guitars wailed and drums throbbed behind her as part of a set with her bandmates during a recent show.
From Seattle Times ● May 19, 2024
He was heartened, though, knowing the Hurricanes had beaten the Rangers, 3-1, even if his mouth throbbed.
From New York Times ● May 27, 2022
Later, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum splayed across the floor as his right shoulder throbbed in pain.
From Washington Post ● May 22, 2022
It was almost full dark, and my tooth hurt and my ankle throbbed and I’d spilled what was left of the tin on the ground beside my legs.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
That moment came in 2008, with a crash and a long, throbbing hangover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Set to a throbbing synth bassline, the song teases fans by interpolating a line from her 1980s classic Into The Groove: "Out here on the dance floor, I feel so free."
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
On “Anatomical Fable of the Elements,” atop a snaky bassline and a throbbing beat, Ms. Muldrow poses questions: “Is your nose witness to the sweet life?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 4, 2026
The song holds next to none of the grinding desire throbbing through most of The Artist’s oeuvre.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
But it did not stop the angry throbbing in his brain, the thing burning inside him.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
