heartbeat

noun

heart·​beat ˈhärt-ˌbēt 

1

: one complete pulsation of the heart

2

: the vital center or driving impulse

3

: a brief space of time : flash

—used chiefly in the phrase in a heartbeat

Synonyms

• beat
• eyeblink
• flash
• instant
• jiff
• jiffy
• minute
• moment
• nanosecond
• New York minute
• second
• shake
• split second
• trice
• twinkle
• twinkling
• wink

Examples of heartbeat in a Sentence

The patient had a rapid heartbeat.

I'd accept a job offer from that company in a heartbeat.

Recent Examples on the Web

My favorite is their trip to the Aniakchak National Monument in Alaska, a remote place that, as Darryl tells it, can only be visited two months a year — and getting there requires convincing a pilot to take you, because the weather can turn in a heartbeat. —Joanna Allhands, The Arizona Republic, 11 Sep. 2024

This stitching is the heartbeat of the design, giving life and energy to the pattern. —Stephanie Sporn, Architectural Digest, 5 Sep. 2024

The heart relies on a complex electrical conduction system to generate a heartbeat. —Angela Ryan Lee, Health, 4 Sep. 2024

Other possible symptoms include a cough producing bloody mucus, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, lightheadedness or turning blue. —Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heartbeat

• heartbeat law
• in a heartbeat

Kids Definition

heartbeat

noun

heart·​beat ˈhärt-ˌbēt 

: a single contracting and expanding of the heart

Medical Definition

heartbeat

noun

heart·​beat ˈhärt-ˌbēt 

: one complete pulsation of the heart