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
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(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
-
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
Emma was about 11 when her legs started to feel heavy and throb and said they started to grow bigger.
From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2025
The look and smell of the liquid made my head throb.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2023
Your eyes might begin to water, your head to throb and headlines in today’s newspapers to overwhelm your thoughts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2023
The thought of it makes his head throb again.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
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
Its story is told through its throbs of tumult, daunting hurdles, spirited triumphs and terrible tragedies.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
A vein on the side of the man’s forehead throbs lightly.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Her head throbbed every time she looked at a computer screen for too long.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The atmosphere throbbed with excitement, expectation and anger.
From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2024
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
“Some people like loud music to relax and express their emotions on the dance floor,” Pledov said as a thumping electronic soundtrack throbbed in the background.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
It was only when the amulet throbbed again that she blinked.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
So what to do about your underwhelming past lovers, your Pisces Venusian yearning, your throbbing heart, your efforts to prepare yourself to love from the most whole place you possibly can?
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
"Ginga me," Amaarae sings repeatedly over a throbbing electro groove – referencing the fluid, hip-swaying movements of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2025
She told me I may see her third eye throbbing there when she entered her trance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025
On the second track, “Bumpy,” what sounds like a sonic rendering of an exploding box of crayons leads to a throbbing pulse that could be a sentient computer’s ticking heart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
The throbbing burn in my throat displaced all other pain.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
