thunder
Americannoun
-
a loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the explosive expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge.
-
any loud, resounding noise.
the thunder of applause.
-
a threatening or startling utterance, denunciation, or the like.
verb (used without object)
-
thunders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thundered,
past participle, past
-
thundering
present participle
-
to give forth thunder (often used impersonally with it as the subject).
It thundered last night.
-
to make a loud, resounding noise like thunder.
The artillery thundered in the hills.
-
to utter loud or vehement denunciations, threats, or the like.
-
to speak in a very loud tone.
-
to move or go with a loud noise or violent action.
The train thundered through the village.
verb (used with object)
-
thunders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thundered,
past participle, past
-
thundering
present participle
idioms
noun
-
a loud cracking or deep rumbling noise caused by the rapid expansion of atmospheric gases which are suddenly heated by lightning
-
any loud booming sound
-
rare a violent threat or denunciation
-
to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him or her
verb
-
to make (a loud sound) or utter (words) in a manner suggesting thunder
-
(intr; with it as subject) to be the case that thunder is being heard
-
(intr) to move fast and heavily
the bus thundered downhill
-
(intr) to utter vehement threats or denunciation; rail
-
The explosive noise that accompanies a stroke of lightning. Thunder is a series of sound waves produced by the rapid expansion of the air through which the lightning passes. Sound travels about 1 km in 3 seconds (about 1 mi in 5 seconds). The distance between an observer and a lightning flash can be calculated by counting the number of seconds between the flash and the thunder.
-
See Note at lightning
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
thundersimple
-
thunderssimple
-
have thunderedperfect
-
has thunderedperfect
-
am thunderingprogressive
-
are thunderingprogressive
-
is thunderingprogressive
-
have been thunderingperfect progressive
-
has been thunderingperfect progressive
Past
-
thunderedsimple
-
had thunderedperfect
-
was thunderingprogressive
-
were thunderingprogressive
-
had been thunderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of thunder
before 900; (noun) Middle English thonder, thunder, Old English thunor; cognate with Dutch donder, German Donner; Old Norse thōrr Thor, literally, thunder; (v.) Middle English thondren, Old English thunrian, derivative of the v.; akin to Latin tonāre to thunder
Explanation
Thunder is the loud noise that comes right after lightning. It also can refer to a loud, booming sound, or mean to move heavily but quickly. Thunder is made up of the rumbles and cracks accompanying lightning during a thunderstorm. You can also use this word for other loud noises, like the thunder of a loud rock band or your uncle's booming voice. A powerful singer can be said to thunder, singing in a way that's as noisy and impressive as a thunderstorm. Thunder can also be used for big, fast movements, like a tank thundering across a field or a truck thundering down the highway.
Vocabulary lists containing thunder
Physical Geography - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Physical Geography - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Physical Geography - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Micron Technology may be about to steal Nvidia’s thunder and underscore its increasing relevance to the broader stock market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 27, 2026
Siri finally works like a chatbot, but AI agent apps such as Instinct and Muse are stealing its thunder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
But for the Bolts, favored by 9½ points, there would be no thunder stealing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
He was the last speaker of the three-hour event, and thunder had been audible outside for over an hour.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
‘That’s it,’ she shouted above the thunder of the falls, ‘you’re nearly there!’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
As Jalla thunders towards its climax, it erupts amid what is presumably Cyprus's entire stock of pyrotechnics.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
He’s quick to slide his board into one of the glassy tubes, gliding out before the wave thunders down onto the reef, a monstrous spray of lapping white froth raining down behind him.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2024
The secretary of state’s “silence thunders in my ears and heart,” the rabbi wrote.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2023
“Never darken my door again!” he thunders old-fashionedly, as though he’s subconsciously aware that the writers Kirsi Vikman and Jimmy Karlsson are drawing on centuries of love stories about savage men and civilizing women.
From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
The church thunders in applause, and I see Pop Pop in the back of the pews jump up and shout, “Saaaaaaang, Nessy!”
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
A world-cleansing storm has thundered ominously on the horizon ever since “The Bear” began.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Church bells pealed and cannons thundered when Americans learned that the Continental Congress had adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
When CNN co-moderator Elex Michaelson asked Villaraigosa if he would cancel California’s much-maligned high-speed rail project, the candidate’s emphatic “No” thundered down like a Lebron James dunk.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
"Where is the money?" supporters of Magyar's party, Tisza, thundered in unison, referring to accusations against local Fidesz politicians over millions of euros of public funds that have gone missing.
From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026
To which my dad thundered, “Ya. ¡Basta, Celia! I don’t want to hear about it anymore!”
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
And I heard about it, in thundering waves of sarcasm and snark, from old fashioned emails to online comments, a tsunami of taunts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Dinwiddie evolves from being a thundering doubter about Washington to being an equally thundering supporter who refuses to accept the younger man’s resignation after a setback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
That was the beginning of the chants, arguably louder than for any other player in Dodger Stadium history, stronger than Moo-kie, deeper than Fred-die, chants thundering enough to seemingly be heard for a lifetime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
This city may be small, but in 1926 it became immortal, the place where a fiesta, thundering hooves, and a novel collided to shape modern legend.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
She put her hands forward and moved quickly between the trees, trying to ignore her thundering heartbeat.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
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.
