thunder

1 of 2

noun

thun·​der ˈthən-dər 

1

: the sound that follows a flash of lightning and is caused by sudden expansion of the air in the path of the electrical discharge

2

: bang, rumble

the thunder of big guns

3

: a loud utterance or threat

see also:

steal one's thunder

thunder

2 of 2

verb

thundered; thundering ˈthən-d(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to produce thunder

—usually used impersonally

it thundered

b

: to give forth a sound that resembles thunder

horses thundered down the road

2

: roar, shout

transitive verb

1

: to utter loudly : roar

2

: to strike with a sound likened to thunder

thunderer

ˈthən-dər-ər 

noun

Synonyms of thunder

Verb

• roar
• growl

Examples of thunder in a Sentence

Noun

Her dog is afraid of thunder.

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder.

We could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.

the thunder of horses' hooves

the distant thunder of cannon fire

She accepted the award to a thunder of applause.

Verb

The sky thundered and the rain poured down.

It was raining and thundering all night.

Guns thundered in the distance.

Horses thundered down the road.

Trucks thundered past on the highway.

“How dare you come into my house!” he thundered.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Videos posted to Instagram show the tornadic waterspouts, a rare weather phenomenon considered a tornado but occurring over water, which extended from the Queens shoreline as thunder boomed overhead. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026

The thunder sound was a combination of wobbling window of shades of the ’40s to achieve that old school thunder sound that was layered in with some newer thunderclap sounds. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Verb

Lovers of American automotive muscle would no doubt also nominate that quirky 1976 comedy The Gumball Rally, simply for its action hero, a thundering Shelby Cobra 427. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026

In May 2025, a huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier thundered down the mountainside in the nearby Loetschental valley, sending plumes of dust skyward and coating with mud nearly all of Blatten, which had been evacuated earlier as a precaution. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thoner, thunder, from Old English thunor; akin to Old High German thonar thunder, Latin tonare to thunder

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing thunder

• a face like thunder
• steal one's thunder
• steal someone's thunder
• thunder egg
• thunder lizard

Rhymes for thunder

• blunder
• bunder
• funder
• plunder
• sunder
• under
• asunder

Kids Definition

thunder

1 of 2 noun

thun·​der ˈthən-dər 

1

: the loud sound that follows a flash of lightning

2

: a noise like thunder

thunder

2 of 2 verb

thundered; thundering -d(ə-)riŋ 

1

a

: to produce thunder

b

: to produce a sound like thunder

horses thundered down the road

2

: to utter loudly

the people thundered their approval

thunderer

-dər-ər 

noun