palpitate

1 of 2

verb

pal·​pi·​tate ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt 

palpitated; palpitating

intransitive verb

: to beat rapidly and strongly : throb

My heart began to palpitate when I was announced as the winner.

palpitation

2 of 2

noun

pal·​pi·​ta·​tion ˌpal-pə-ˈtā-shən 

: a rapid pulsation

especially : an abnormally rapid or irregular beating of the heart (such as that caused by panic, arrhythmia, or strenuous physical exercise)

Synonyms of palpitate

Verb

• throb
• beat
• vibrate
• pulse

Noun

• pulse
• throb

Examples of palpitate in a Sentence

Verb

My heart began to palpitate when I was announced as the winner.

the man's heart began to palpitate, and he feared another attack was coming on

Noun

a palpitation of the blood vessels

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

But two sweaty and heart-palpitating afternoons at Foley Field spoke a truth about Georgia, bound for the College World Series for the first time since 2008. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 8 June 2026

The finale had the impossible task of putting the monstrous show to an unquiet grave, and while some storylines seemed rushed and others completely ignored, even everyone’s least favorite season of GOT is heart palpitating. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025

Noun

People who develop racing heartbeats, tremors, anxiety, insomnia, reflux, headaches or reproducible palpitations after drinking coffee should not ignore those symptoms simply because population studies are reassuring. — Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

As Lyme disease progresses, a patient can get severe headaches; Bell’s Palsy, involving loss of muscle tone or droop in one or both sides of the face; severe arthritis; heart palpitations; and episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath. — Amanda Roome, The Conversation, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin palpitatus, past participle of palpitare, frequentative of palpare to stroke

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1623, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

palpitate

verb

pal·​pi·​tate ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt 

palpitated; palpitating

: to beat rapidly and strongly : throb, quiver

Medical Definition

palpitate

intransitive verb

pal·​pi·​tate ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt 

palpitated; palpitating

: to beat rapidly, irregularly, or forcibly

—used especially of the heart