thumping

1 of 2

adjective

thump·​ing ˈthəm-piŋ How to pronounce thumping (audio)
: impressively large, great, or excellent
a thumping majority
thumpingly adverb

thumping

2 of 2

adverb

: very, extremely
a thumping good time

Examples of thumping in a Sentence

Adjective He told a thumping lie. Adverb That was a thumping great story she told. We had a thumping good time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Results Friday confirmed that Johnson’s Conservative Party has won a thumping majority in Britain’s general election. Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2019 What better way to combine a travel bucket list destination than with the thumping vibrations of soca music? Anquanette Gaspard, Essence, 30 Dec. 2019 After a disastrous first debate in June, when Harris delivered a thumping denunciation of his record on race, Biden appeared somewhat more sure-footed during a July debate in Detroit. BostonGlobe.com, 13 Sep. 2019 For all the thumping energy, the music has a touch of stiff irony reminiscent of Shostakovich. New York Times, 13 July 2018 During a recent visit, one sound technician repeatedly played a scene featuring a flaming arrow shot seemingly over the audience's head, making sure the thumping impact sounds had just the right quiver. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 25 May 2018 Beginning with Leslie Grace trilling along to the beat, the song switches between Korean and Spanish, and throws in a few English phrases for good measure, as the tune builds to the swaying titular refrain and a thumping dance break. Tamar Herman, Billboard, 12 Apr. 2018 Featuring an electronic, trap-like sound bed powered by lush synths and a thumping bass line, Mir -- in his melodic rap-sing flow -- brushes off people who claim to be his friend, but as his star continues to rise, turn out to be opportunists. Nerisha Penrose, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2018 The thumping bass line cuts out abruptly and the soundtrack is replaced with the ratchet-like chorus of crickets. Evan Lubofsky, Smithsonian, 23 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thumping.' 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

Adjective

thumping, present participle of thump entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thumping was in 1576

Dictionary Entries Near thumping

Cite this Entry

“Thumping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thumping. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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