pulsate

verb

pul·sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt

also ˌpəl-ˈsāt

pulsated; pulsating

Synonyms of pulsate next

intransitive verb

: to throb or move rhythmically : vibrate

: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat

Example Sentences

The lights pulsated with the music. People danced to the pulsating sounds of hip-hop. Virtually every scene of the movie pulsates with suspense.

Recent Examples on the Web Some scientists believe fireflies create their pulsating patterns by regulating the flow of air. —

Madeline Bodin, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2023 The Queen of Flow (2 Seasons, 171 Episodes) Set against the pulsating backdrop of Colombia's reggaeton music scene, The Queen of Flow follows Yeimy Montoya, a talented composer seeking revenge after being wrongfully imprisoned. —

Travis Bean, Forbes, 4 May 2023 In 2018, a pulsating light was added to the Mustang's push-button start in attempt to look like a beating heart. —

Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 20 Apr. 2023 According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, migraines are a type of headache caused by activation of nerve fibers in the wall of brain blood vessels that cause recurrent attacks of moderate to severe throbbing and pulsating pain. —

Mallory Rowley, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2023 Emitting the flashing infrared bursts from the hoodie will force nearby cameras’ auto exposure to try correcting for the brightness, thus obscuring a wearers’ face in a bright, pulsating light. —

Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2023 After a handful of minor league outings, Bauer debuted to a crowd that pulsated with the thrumming energy expected of games in Japan. —

Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 3 May 2023 Instead of pulsating religious music, the soundtrack was Israeli pop and rap. —

Neri Zilber, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 May 2023 Equal parts wistful and sensual, vivid and gentle, Stolevski has gifted us with a swoon-worthy romantic drama that looks at that first blushing crush not as an ephemera in need of being remembered but as a living memory that can pulsate and ache precisely because it’s never left you. —

Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023 See More

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

in part borrowed from Latin pulsātus, past participle of pulsāre "to strike with repeated blows, beat, (in passive) beat wildly (of the heart)," frequentative or repetitive derivative of pellere "to beat against, push, strike"; in part from pulse entry 1 + -ate entry 4 — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of pulsate was in 1744

See more words from the same year