throb

verb

Save Word

\ ˈthräb

throbbed; throbbing

Definition of throb

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to pulsate or pound with abnormal force or rapidity

2 : to beat or vibrate rhythmically

throb

noun

Definition of throb (Entry 2 of 2)

: beat, pulse

Other Words from throb Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about throb

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of throb in a Sentence

Verb Her finger throbbed with pain. The music throbs with a Caribbean beat. drums throbbing in the distance Noun the throb of the drums The pain has changed to a dull throb.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb There are harmonies and operatic vocals, electronic and acoustic notes, throbbing bass lines and rock riffs, all which capture the euphoria of falling in love and the pits of heartache and tragedy. — Los Angeles Times, "The explosive musical storytelling of San Cha puts the Goth in ranchera," 1 May 2020 On Fridays, Saturdays and basically any given weeknight, my Brooklyn neighborhood is alive with throbbing house music, over-earnest open mics, DJ sets, roiling apartment bashes and cars blasting Reggaeton. — Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, "The Party Goes On in Massive Online Worlds," 1 Apr. 2020 Zadina played the next night when the Wings hosted the Rangers, but throbbing pain prompted an X-ray, which revealed a fracture. — Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Red Wings snap six-game losing streak with 2-1 win over Blackhawks," 7 Mar. 2020 Its throbbing bassline and beat, paired with Sophie Hawley-Weld’s angelic voice and Halpern’s low growl, creates a delicious cocktail that is equal parts dirty, melodic and anthemic. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 50 Best Dance Songs of 2019: Staff List," 20 Dec. 2019 She was especially impressed by the 50 or so drummers dressed in black mariachi costumes pounding out a throbbing rhythm toward the end. — Washington Post, "Skulls, masks and dancers as Mexico fetes Day of the Dead," 2 Nov. 2019 His wrists throbbed in time with his heart and kept him awake at night. — Brendan Fitzgerald, Longreads, "“I miss my body when it was ferocious” The Transfiguration of Paul Curreri," 14 Mar. 2020 My phone is throbbing with messages from family around the world, checking in on each other. — Laurie Penny, Wired, "Panic, Pandemic, and the Body Politic," 14 Mar. 2020 San Francisco throbbed red and gold Sunday as the 49ers tromped into the Super Bowl for the first time in seven years, with every conceivable sports bar rocking hard and block parties filling driveways and living rooms with screaming fans. — Evan Sernoffsky, SFChronicle.com, "Fans going wild over Super Bowl all over the Bay Area," 2 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The Half of It Rated PG-13 for brief language, teen drinking and the delicate throb of unrequited love. — Kyle Turner, New York Times, "‘The Half of It’ Review: Being Yourself (and That Person, Too)," 1 May 2020 Walking down a modern urban thoroughfare, the throb and dynamism of our benighted race is constantly on show. — The School Of Life, CNN, "The School of Life Presents: Nature may be the antidote to our modern way of life," 27 May 2020 Her songs continued to toggle between moments of twee intimacy and the collectivizing throb of the dance floor. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "Yaeji’s New Mixtape Is the Opposite of Social Distancing," 30 Mar. 2020 This is how the human race ends: with the shallow clang of metal on metal, a squalling screech, the heavy stomp and throb of percussion. — Judy Berman, Time, "Grimes Tried to Make a Soundtrack for the End of the World. The Result Is Surprisingly Timid," 21 Feb. 2020 The sting of a paper cut or the throb of a dog bite is perceived through the skin, where cells react to mechanical forces and send an electrical message to the brain. — Quanta Magazine, "Glial Brain Cells, Long in Neurons’ Shadow, Reveal Hidden Powers," 27 Jan. 2020 After ten years, the pain of the Fallen Fifty has become a dull throb in the hearts of Potterheads, but with every re-watch, one death still hits just as hard: Fred Weasley. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "This Devastating Detail About Fred and George From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" Will Destroy You," 6 Jan. 2020 The lyre’s mournful throb was also heard whenever the Dolphins’ starting quarterback, Josh Rosen, touched the ball. — Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, "The Miami Dolphins and the Art of Losing to “Win”," 19 Oct. 2019 In one of the oldest souks stands Bakdash, a shop more than a century old, where booza (Arabic for ice cream) is beaten in buckets with giant wooden mallets, up and down in an inexorable throb. — Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, "Celebrating America, Scoop by Frosty Scoop," 2 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'throb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.