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.
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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
-
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.
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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:
The crack of the bat echoed the thunder that had been rumbling outside of the roofed ballpark for much of the afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
While inside, I heard what sounded like thunder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Northern Ireland will also see some showers but these are likely to be less intense with less thunder.
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
Spending a night or two outdoors in a securely pitched tent was a tolerable idea, but thunder?
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
As Jalla thunders towards its climax, it erupts amid what is presumably Cyprus's entire stock of pyrotechnics.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
“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
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
“Right now there’s a lot of smoke plume and it oozes and thunders, the curtains shake,” Aquino said.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2023
My heart thunders in my chest as our eyes lock.
From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell
He’s distracted when he decides to race a comet: “We roared and thundered along side by side, both doing our level best, because I’d never struck a comet before that could lay over me.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
A world-cleansing storm has thundered ominously on the horizon ever since “The Bear” began.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 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
On the great beast thundered, blundering in blind wrath through pool and thicket.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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
As he dominated center stage, the thundering chorus of his speeches — “I am … somebody” — inspired his followers even as it sometimes sounded like a painful plea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 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
And then, with a thundering crash, it hit the ground.
From "I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919" by Lauren Tarshis
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.
