thunder

1 of 2

noun

thun·​der ˈthən-dər How to pronounce thunder (audio)
1
: the sound that follows a flash of lightning and is caused by sudden expansion of the air in the path of the electrical discharge
2
: bang, rumble
the thunder of big guns
3
: a loud utterance or threat

thunder

2 of 2

verb

thundered; thundering ˈthən-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce thunder (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to produce thunder
usually used impersonally
it thundered
b
: to give forth a sound that resembles thunder
horses thundered down the road
2
: roar, shout

transitive verb

1
: to utter loudly : roar
2
: to strike with a sound likened to thunder
thunderer noun

Examples of thunder in a Sentence

Noun Her dog is afraid of thunder. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder. We could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance. the thunder of horses' hooves the distant thunder of cannon fire She accepted the award to a thunder of applause. Verb The sky thundered and the rain poured down. It was raining and thundering all night. Guns thundered in the distance. Horses thundered down the road. Trucks thundered past on the highway. “How dare you come into my house!” he thundered.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
While most of the rain is light, a few heavier downpours and even a rumble of thunder can’t be ruled out. Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024 Weather, Hecht told the Free Press, was not the deciding factor, but the National Weather Service is forecasting strong wind gusts, perhaps even a tornado, large hail, thunder, and snowstorms this week — all of which could lead to massive power outages. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2024 The show culminated with Jon shouting out a string of moves — the A-Town stomp, the muscle, the thunder clap, the rockaway — as more dancers flooded the stage. Jason Lamphier, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2024 Accessories: Betsey Johnson and Sophia Webster Enter the Rankings Make room, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo: Betsey Johnson and Sophia Webster have arrived to steal some accessories thunder. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Musk has, after all, tried to kneecap rivals by stealing their thunder, like a quad-motor Cybertruck capable of turning a full 360 degrees on its axis like a tank, or drive sideways like a crab. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 When the explosions eventually go off, DTE said residents within a half-mile of the plant can expect to hear a series of booms, like thunder, for less than a minute, and feel some ground vibrations. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 26 Feb. 2024 Above that inversion, the atmosphere was very unstable, which aided the thunder development. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 Tuesday is also likely to see rain, and a slight chance of thunder is in the forecast. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
Pro-regime forces sent jets thundering overhead, and ordnance crashed down at random. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 In town, local kids thundered around on snowmobiles, except for one: a quiet 16-year-old named Destiny. Sophy Roberts, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Feb. 2024 Take some easy hikes in the Wonderland of Rocks, finishing up just as the thundering hordes start pouring in. Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 It’s been a jarring contrast, two springs connected by a season that thundered out of the gate and ended with a thud. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 The Falcon 9, using a first stage booster making its 10th flight, thundered to life at 12:07 p.m. EST, throttled up and climbed away from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. William Harwood, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2024 The weary 110th Brigade pulled out of Avdiivka under the thundering guns of one of Ukraine’s best brigades, the 3rd Assault Brigade. David Axe, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 First, Chaz Fisher delivered a thundering chase-down block after a City steal, firing the ball back up the court, where Poly eventually found Marcus Matthews for a three. Aidan Thomas, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2024 In the mix are Boneyard, Nemesis and Wild Burro thundering up ahead and raring to bounce, buck and douse paddlers. Pete Zimowsky, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024

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

Noun

Middle English thoner, thunder, from Old English thunor; akin to Old High German thonar thunder, Latin tonare to thunder

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thunder was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thunder

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

thunder

1 of 2 noun
thun·​der ˈthən-dər How to pronounce thunder (audio)
1
: the loud sound that follows a flash of lightning
2
: a noise like thunder

thunder

2 of 2 verb
thundered; thundering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce thunder (audio)
1
a
: to produce thunder
b
: to produce a sound like thunder
horses thundered down the road
2
: to utter loudly
the people thundered their approval
thunderer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on thunder

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!