thump

1 of 2

verb

ˈthəmp 

thumped; thumping; thumps

transitive verb

1

: to strike or beat with or as if with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound

2

: pound, knock

3

: whip, thrash

4

: to produce (music) mechanically or in a mechanical manner

—usually used with out

thumped out a tune on the piano

intransitive verb

1

a

: to inflict a thump

b

: to make or move with a thumping sound

2

: to make a vigorous endorsement

got a couple of … senators to thump for him

—The New York Herald Tribune

thumper noun

thump

2 of 2

noun

: a blow or knock with or as if with something blunt or heavy

also : the sound made by such a blow

Synonyms

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Noun

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of thump in a Sentence

Verb

The boat thumped against the side of the pier.

thumped the desk with his hand as he delivered his speech

Noun

The ball landed with a thump.

gave her boyfriend a thump against the side of his head whenever he said something obnoxious

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The adrenaline had worn off and my knee pulsed with a deep, thumping ache. —Outside Online, 10 July 2024

Forget Bible thumping; Locke once literally fastened a Bible to a bat and pummeled a pink dollhouse onstage. —Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024

Noun

The harder the bassline and the thump of the drums, the better. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 July 2024

And all along, the Time Machine will continue spinning, testing more running shoes and hiking boots one thump at a time. —John Frank, Axios, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

thump

verb

ˈthəmp

1

: to strike or beat with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound

2

: to beat heavily : pound

thump noun