throbbing

American  

[throb-ing] / ˈθrɒb ɪŋ /

adjective

1. beating or pulsing rapidly or forcefully, as the heart under the influence of emotion or excitement.

   One may use a sweet, patient tone and words, but the throbbing vein in the temple betrays one’s anger.

2. feeling or exhibiting strong emotion or passion.

   As he spoke to the students crashing the climate convention, he was clearly thrilled to be there in that throbbing mass of youthful exuberance.

3. pulsating or vibrating regularly.

   The throbbing sound was now at full volume, and it was indeed drums—deep, heavy goatskin drums.

4. being or feeling pain that occurs in rhythmic waves or bursts.

   A sinus infection often results in a throbbing headache.

   He pounded on the closed door, but with no effect apart from a throbbing fist.

5. full of or characterized by lively energy.

   This throbbing metropolis is also the world capital of salsa.

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noun

1. the act of beating fast or forcefully, pulsating or vibrating, or occurring in rhythmic waves.

   The pain in his shoulder had subsided to a dull throbbing.

   Astronomers have measured the throbbing of a sun-like star 24 light-years away.

2. the act or fact of feeling or exhibiting strong emotion or passion.

   The throbbing of my rage was so powerful that the ground trembled.

3. lively energy.

   Feel the throbbing of the world’s cultures at the annual international festival this weekend!

Other Word Forms

• throbbingly adverb
• unthrobbing adjective

Etymology

Origin of throbbing

First recorded in 1400–50; throb ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; throb ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Explanation

If something's pulsing like a heartbeat, it's throbbing. When you stop and catch your breath after a long run, you might hear your throbbing pulse in your ears. An injury that's throbbing with pain pounds with regular beats: "I have a throbbing headache." Music is often described as throbbing too, beating and pounding with deep bass notes from a club or a car — or maybe your ceiling is vibrating with the throbbing music your upstairs neighbors are playing. To throb is to pulsate, and experts guess the word itself stems from the sound and feeling of pulsating blood.

Example Sentences

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

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

Researchers here are developing the extraordinarily sounding "organ-on-a-chip" technology, conjuring up alarming images of throbbing brains and beating hearts sitting on top of electronic circuits.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

The badger lumbered through the mossy gate, heading toward the throbbing red light.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

• agonizing
• arduous
• awful
• difficult
• dire
• distasteful
• distressing
• excruciating
• hard
• harrowing
• heart-wrenching
• hurtful
• severe
• tedious
• terrible
• troublesome
• uncomfortable
• unpleasant