thump

verb

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\ ˈthəmp

thumped; thumping; thumps

Definition of thump

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

1a : 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

thump

noun

Definition of thump (Entry 2 of 2)

: a blow or knock with or as if with something blunt or heavy also : the sound made by such a blow

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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 All the while, club music continued to thump from inside the building. — Dallas News, "Man kicked out of Fort Worth strip club shot by security guard after shooting at building," 30 Jan. 2021 In addition to plexiglass screens, polling places across the region took measures to promote spacing and hygiene in the face of the ongoing pandemic, offering clean pens or swabs to thump the electronic voting screens. — Marc Ramirez, Dallas News, "Texas voters surpass total ballots cast during 2016 election with 1 day left of early voting," 30 Oct. 2020 The Norwegian will thump his chest and roar words of self-encouragement as he's introduced to the crowd on the start line -- psychological preparation for what lies ahead. — George Ramsay, CNN, "After the season of his life, Karsten Warholm wants to win athletics' 'moon race'," 24 Oct. 2020 Swift ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and the Lions got their best defensive effort of the season to thump the Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-16, at TIAA Bank Stadium. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "How Detroit Lions RB D'Andre Swift got redemption: 'One game means nothing'," 19 Oct. 2020 Their scaly bodies thump against me with an energy that’s ineffable and uplifting. — James Prosek, National Geographic, "If you unbuild it, they will come—the fish, that is," 14 Aug. 2020 Just about all of our residential stucco is the traditional, three-coat stucco that people like to thump their chest over. — Reuben Saltzman, Star Tribune, "Buying a stucco home? Heads up.," 11 Aug. 2020 Sirens and the thumping rotors of maize and blue Eurocopter 155 Survival Flight helicopters signaled the arrival of as many as 25 patients a day until April 8, when the number of Covid inpatients hit a peak of 229. — Elliott Woods, Wired, "In One Hospital, Finding Humanity in an Inhuman Crisis," 19 Apr. 2020 So rather than avoiding his hostile ex Amanda (Freida Pinto), Jack gets stuck alongside her, while Dina is stranded next to Sidney (Tim Key), a thumping bore who is not Scottish but wears a kilt to allow for endless jokes about testicle discomfort. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Love Wedding Repeat': Film Review," 10 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Sound designers have long helped craft everything from the roar of a car’s engines to the satisfying thump of a closing door. — Time, "Electric Cars Can Sound Like Anything. That's a Huge Opportunity to Craft the Soundscape of the Future," 6 Apr. 2021 If about to confront a Detroit-style pothole looming fast, don’t expect a ker-thump as a wheel drops into it, or feel any thudder-judder in the steering. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, "The 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost: Everything We Know About the Marque’s Most Spirited Model to Date," 9 Mar. 2021 Malik Harrison played downhill, bringing a physical thump to that inside linebacker position. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Will Ohio State football’s linebackers seize their long-awaited opportunity? Three spring questions," 9 Mar. 2021 Every sound, every cry of the referee’s whistle, every rhythmic thump of the ball felt amplified. — Kurt Streeter, New York Times, "Gonzaga May Miss March’s Madness," 2 Mar. 2021 Farther up, on the East Observatory Trail, a jazzy drum solo kicks in, punctuating each switchback with a thump-ding-and-wire-brush swoosh, heightening anticipation around every corner. — Los Angeles Times, "How to help keep monarchs from going extinct," 25 Feb. 2021 While teaching a Sunday school class around 9:45 a.m., Bjerkaas heard the sound of a low-flying helicopter followed by a loud thump. — USA Today, "Church in the Canyon became grieving site for Lakers fans," 24 Jan. 2021 Dogs love to listen to their people’s voices, a sentiment confirmed by the periodic thump of their tails on the cabin floor. — Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, "At a quiet cabin in Alaska, all is calm — if not completely silent — for a dog easily spooked by fireworks," 9 Jan. 2021 Though technically released in December 2019, Kaytranada’s thump-resonant, dance floor radiant, synth-rich flurry of color and beats was the perfect reservoir of music to escape into this year. — Wired Staff, Wired, "The Best Pop Culture That Got Us Through 2020," 16 Dec. 2020

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