adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thundering
before 1100; Middle English thundring, Old English thunring thunder. See thunder, -ing 2, -ing 1
Explanation
Thundering describes a sound that is deep and resounding—or resembling thunder. The thundering sound of feet hurrying down the hall is one sign that school's over for the day. The sound of a thunderstorm can be described as thundering of course, but so can other loud, booming noises. You might love the thundering sound of a rock concert but hate the thundering voice of an angry parent scolding a child. This adjective comes from the verb thunder, which we can trace back to a root that means "resound."
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.
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
They had Toulouse rocking and they landed another blow, a rolling line-out maul thundering over the try-line with substitute Hiddleston touching down to give Warriors the lead for the first time.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
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
Sure enough, a long thick neck soon appeared over the rooftop as the thundering footsteps grew louder, and then the whole gigantic beast lumbered around a corner.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" 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.
