throb

1 of 2

verb

throbbed; throbbing

intransitive verb

1
: to pulsate or pound with abnormal force or rapidity
2
: to beat or vibrate rhythmically
throbber noun

throb

2 of 2

noun

: beat, pulse

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
In spite of the violence, the film throbs with the potential of them sharing something reciprocal. Hazlitt, 28 Feb. 2024 Beyond simple subwoofers that throb inside the cabin with raw vibrations, this setup is intended to reduce driver fatigue by stimulating the human body. Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2024 The muscles along his thin arms and legs throbbed, his head ached, his stomach was sore. Keren Blankfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2024 My feet were throbbing, my jeans were soaking wet from the rain, and my stomach was both gurgling and cramping. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2023 Bold cinematography and a soundtrack of throbbing Egyptian rap beats set the scene and compound a sense of social alienation that affects these men yet strengthens the family. Aziz Zoromba, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023 This neurological disease is often lifelong, characterized by recurring, throbbing pain — typically on one side of the head — and several other symptoms that can leave an individual bedridden for days. Brittany Edelmann, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2023 Your eyes might begin to water, your head to throb and headlines in today’s newspapers to overwhelm your thoughts. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 Louk was described by friends and family as a free-spirited young woman who loved raves just like this one was intended to be: communal gatherings in natural settings, with hypnotic trance music that throbs through the night. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023
Noun
Disney has hired ex-Alabama coach Nick Saban—heart throb of millions of middle-aged Southern men—to be an ESPN commentator. Alan Murray, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 Steven Pisano As dense techno beats throb and LED lights flash, Tansini’s Cassandra performs a defiant funeral dance for herself. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2024 Washington felt the throb and the pulse, the push and the tug of fierce winds on Saturday. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024 Sometimes the new mix sounds too busy—at the end, when kid brother Tommy Stinson plays his poignant bass throb, he gets drowned out. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2023 For the first thirty feet underwater, the surface light pinkened the reef, some dim wound-like throb hovering over the shadows of flying rays; schools of fish winking in and out as if stars. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023 As Paul’s exuberant melodies combine with the boisterous throb of the Diwali riddim, listeners’ hips and waists acquire a sentience of their own, moving as if threatening to secede from the rest of the body. Iva Dixit, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2023 Every apartment where there were children, from the first to the fifth story, harbored at least a secondhand upright, and the blend of the lessons, or the practicing, sent out a noisy staccato throb up and down the stairs and all along the corridors. Cynthia Ozick, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023 Even the idea of the long ride on 66 caused a throb in his cracked hip. Tom Hanks, Harper's Magazine, 5 Jan. 2023

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

Verb

Middle English throbben

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of throb was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near throb

Cite this Entry

“Throb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throb. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

throb

verb
ˈthräb
throbbed; throbbing
1
: to beat hard or fast (as from fright or pain)
her injured ankle was throbbing
2
: to beat or vibrate with a steady rhythm
throb noun

Medical Definition

throb

1 of 2 intransitive verb
throbbed; throbbing
: to pulsate or pound especially with abnormal force or rapidity
a finger throbbing from an infected cut

throb

2 of 2 noun
: a single pulse of a pulsating movement or sensation
a sudden throb of pain

More from Merriam-Webster on throb

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