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
-
am throbbingprogressive
-
are throbbingprogressive
-
is throbbingprogressive
-
have been throbbingperfect progressive
-
has been throbbingperfect progressive
Past
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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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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:
The braggadocious “Helicopter” has a piercing throb like a car alarm, while “Stole Ya Flow”—a diss track apparently addressed to Drake—has a curling and distorted drone winding through it, a rattlesnake-like warning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
And so the throb of pain continues to course through her.
From BBC ● May 7, 2025
The look and smell of the liquid made my head throb.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2023
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 nerve in Ekon’s temple was beginning to throb.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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
A radio throbs with Bob Marley in a park where German officer once resided in the surrounding townhouses.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
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
Sweet, unfettered ocean air pours through a gap in the wall he cannot see: the air throbs with it.
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 songs – Thunder Road, Jungleland, Born To Run – throbbed with longing, as his characters fought to escape the confines of small-town, blue collar American life.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 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
As we said our farewells, my head throbbed from taking in so much knowledge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
His finger might as well have been searing embers, as the large bump on his head throbbed against the touch.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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
He is a throbbing mass of malevolence, turned up — to reference Reiner’s “This Is Spinal Tap” — to 11.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
The plastic symmetry of “Battleship Potemkin,” its humanity, and its throbbing power still command respect, and Sergei Eisenstein endures as the finest film editor the world has seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
They can last from a couple of minutes to days and the pain can be sharp, dull, throbbing or stabbing and sometimes spread beyond your head to your scalp, face or even your neck.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025
The badger lumbered through the mossy gate, heading toward the throbbing red light.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
