pitter-patter
noun
pit·ter-pat·ter
ˈpi-tər-ˌpa-tər 
ˈpi-tē-ˌpa-
: a rapid succession of light sounds or beats : patter
Examples of pitter-patter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There is nothing quite like a teenager named Rafa sprinting across red clay to make the hearts of fans in the Spanish capital go pitter-patter and dream of future glory.
—
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Even before water reaches them, the sound of droplets triggers germination in rice plants
Rain sounds maybe soothing for humans, but for plants, the pitter-patter of droplets is more like a jarring morning alarm.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
The reversed tape loop is a ghostly spirit that animates the track, and every other musical element is a bauble brought to life: the pitter-pattering percussion, the nimbly moving pizzicato.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
The modernizing touch is light-handed, the characters compelling, and the dialogue a nod to the encrypted, wit-heavy pitter-patter of private eyes of yore.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
The squeals, heavy breathing, and tail thrashing of the headline attraction, the ominous pitter-patter of a chestburster scuttling across the floor, and the characteristic crunch of a chestburster smashing through an unfortunate ribcage are all integral to the extra-terrestrial horror.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
The sky was covered by clouds as a light, steady rain pitter-pattered outside and inside Children’s Mercy Park.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025
Metro and his co-producers nailed the full scope of the futuristic era, from the earworm melodies of neon synths and spooky keys with reverb to the subtleties of the pitter-pattering drum programming.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
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Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Even before water reaches them, the sound of droplets triggers germination in rice plants
Rain sounds maybe soothing for humans, but for plants, the pitter-patter of droplets is more like a jarring morning alarm.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026
The reversed tape loop is a ghostly spirit that animates the track, and every other musical element is a bauble brought to life: the pitter-pattering percussion, the nimbly moving pizzicato.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
The modernizing touch is light-handed, the characters compelling, and the dialogue a nod to the encrypted, wit-heavy pitter-patter of private eyes of yore.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
The squeals, heavy breathing, and tail thrashing of the headline attraction, the ominous pitter-patter of a chestburster scuttling across the floor, and the characteristic crunch of a chestburster smashing through an unfortunate ribcage are all integral to the extra-terrestrial horror.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025
The sky was covered by clouds as a light, steady rain pitter-pattered outside and inside Children’s Mercy Park.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025
Metro and his co-producers nailed the full scope of the futuristic era, from the earworm melodies of neon synths and spooky keys with reverb to the subtleties of the pitter-pattering drum programming.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pitter-patter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitter-patter. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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