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

• minute
• second
• moment

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

The first artificial intelligence stethoscope has gone beyond listening to a heartbeat. —Staff, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Here's your step-by-step guide to cleaning oak cabinets safely and correctly so your beautiful kitchen stays the heartbeat of your home and the hub for entertaining. —Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025

For nearly the first half of the film, composer Tony Doogan layers a steady synthetic heartbeat beneath the action, which gains little from this trick. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025

Bringing his characteristic flair for ramping up tension with handheld cameras and rapid cutting, Greengrass illustrates how easily the combination of lax safety standards and fire-friendly weather can build in what seems like a heartbeat into a mass-casualty event. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heartbeat

• heartbeat law
• in a heartbeat

Rhymes for heartbeat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

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