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.
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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.
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to utter loud or vehement denunciations, threats, or the like.
-
to speak in a very loud tone.
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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
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any loud booming sound
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rare a violent threat or denunciation
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to detract from the attention due to another by forestalling him or her
verb
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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
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(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.
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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
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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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:
Even a few kilometres can make the difference between a torrential downpour with thunder and lightning, and somewhere staying completely dry.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 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
The Braves hadn’t faced Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas since their 34-31 loss in 2014 to the Gaels amid thunder, lightning, wind and a downpour of rain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
A clap of thunder cracked over the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, and a few raindrops started to fall over the coastal region that has seen France's worst wildfire since 1949.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
They screamed like the roll of thunder up and away into the sky until they were nothing but a speck among the clouds.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Erling Haaland thunders his way into our top 10 as the definition of a traditional centre-forward.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2026
Another scene, in which a captured German officer demands the young private’s name and Mainwaring thunders: “Don’t tell him, Pike” is routinely voted one of Britain’s funniest TV moments.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024
“America, you are too arrogant,” he thunders, overcoming his inner censor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2023
Which creature could be found “below the thunders of the upper deep,” according to a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson?
From Slate ● Jun. 12, 2023
Rage thunders in me like a great storm.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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
Everton pushed for a winner and Gueye, another of Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations heroes, almost got it when he thundered a fierce strike against the bar.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
When it collapsed a year ago, 350 tonnes of slurry thundered through the Blaenau Gwent village and buried Mr Morgan's driveway.
From BBC ● Nov. 22, 2025
And then the sound of cantering hooves thundered through the palace.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Once inside the park before 8 a.m., their first stop was the Bridalveil Fall Trail, a short trek that takes visitors right to the base of the thundering cascade.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It was raining straight down, it was thundering and it was 27 degrees,” he said, recalling watching the storm early Sunday morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 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
After some precise and powerful combinations, Itauma sent Whyte, 37, down with a thundering right.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2025
We descend, the water thundering inches away from us.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
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.
