thunderous

adjective

thun·​der·​ous ˈthən-d(ə-)rəs 

1

a

: producing thunder

b

: making or accompanied by a noise like thunder

thunderous applause

2

: thundering

thunderously adverb

Synonyms of thunderous

• loud
• deafening
• roaring
• ringing
• thundering

Examples of thunderous in a Sentence

The audience responded with thunderous applause.

the last thunderous chord of the symphony rang throughout the hall

Recent Examples on the Web

From Dallas-Fort Worth to Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in 2026 with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks and light shows, while others took a more subdued approach. —Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026

Jalen Smith sparked a game-ending run with a thunderous dunk on Joel Embiid, and the Chicago Bulls matched a season high with their fifth straight win, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 109-102 on Friday night. —CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025

Within a week, Kimmel returned to the air to thunderous audience support. —Angela Yang, NBC news, 14 Dec. 2025

The Tiger fans rocked their campus arena with thunderous applause during the convincing victory, their first in four games versus the Jayhawks. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

thunderous

adjective

thun·​der·​ous ˈthən-d(ə-)rəs 

1

: producing thunder

2

: making a noise like thunder

thunderous applause

thunderously adverb