pulsate

verb

pul·​sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt How to pronounce pulsate (audio)
 also  ˌpəl-ˈsāt
pulsated; pulsating

intransitive verb

1
: to throb or move rhythmically : vibrate
2
: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat

Examples of pulsate in a Sentence

The lights pulsated with the music. People danced to the pulsating sounds of hip-hop. Virtually every scene of the movie pulsates with suspense.
Recent Examples on the Web With glyph-like symbols arranged in a grid—possibly influenced by Krasner’s Hebrew studies during her childhood in Brooklyn—the Little Image paintings pulsate with jagged intensity. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024 Coming back from down 15 points only to nearly unravel, the young UCLA Bruins finally closed out a taut game in pulsating fashion, pulling out a 68-66 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday night at Desert Financial Arena. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024 The city is pulsating with NBA fans who are funneling through different events. Esfandiar Baraheni, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 However, the sheer excitement pulsating through his body was hard to contain. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2024 The design allowed researchers to inject air through the gelatin in different combinations—alternating airflow between each tube produced a side-to-side wagging motion, while simultaneous inflation offered a (slightly unnerving) pulsating movement. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Feb. 2024 The star quarterback, considered by some to be the greatest of all time, was instrumental for the Chiefs yet again in the pulsating game in Las Vegas on Sunday, stepping up when his team needed a spark. Ben Church, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Linger on one of the lounge chairs along the water catching the last rays of sun while sipping rosé and swaying to the pulsating music matching the rhythm of the waves. Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Jan. 2024 Newer species come with pulsating lights or die-cut air vents or extra wheels and buttons. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pulsate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

in part borrowed from Latin pulsātus, past participle of pulsāre "to strike with repeated blows, beat, (in passive) beat wildly (of the heart)," frequentative or repetitive derivative of pellere "to beat against, push, strike"; in part from pulse entry 1 + -ate entry 4 — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pulsate was in 1744

Dictionary Entries Near pulsate

Cite this Entry

“Pulsate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulsate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pulsate

verb
pul·​sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt How to pronounce pulsate (audio)
pulsated; pulsating
1
: to throb or move rhythmically
2
: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat
a heart pulsating

Medical Definition

pulsate

intransitive verb
pul·​sate
ˈpəl-ˌsāt also ˌpəl-ˈ
pulsated; pulsating
: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation
a pulsating artery

More from Merriam-Webster on pulsate

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