pulsate

verb

pul·​sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt 

 also  ˌpəl-ˈsāt

pulsated; pulsating

intransitive verb

1

: to throb or move rhythmically : vibrate

2

: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat

Synonyms

• beat
• palpitate
• pit-a-pat
• pitter-patter
• pulse
• throb

Examples of pulsate in a Sentence

The lights pulsated with the music.

People danced to the pulsating sounds of hip-hop.

Virtually every scene of the movie pulsates with suspense.

Recent Examples on the Web

The joyride continued to the end where Malden Catholic emerged with the school’s first and only state baseball title with a pulsating 2-0 win over Marlboro. —Danny Ventura, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025

The pulsating thriller is mostly confined to the restaurant, making audiences feel trapped alongside the film's heroine. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025

The result is a pulsating world filled with intricate rituals, mind control and menacing holograms. —Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 1 May 2025

The Russian Defense Ministry published video on Saturday showing units practising tactics in groups of two or three motorbikes, with a rider seen navigating a course to the sound of a pulsating electronic soundtrack. —Daria Tarasova Markina and Tim Lister, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

in part borrowed from Latin pulsātus, past participle of pulsāre "to strike with repeated blows, beat, (in passive) beat wildly (of the heart)," frequentative or repetitive derivative of pellere "to beat against, push, strike"; in part from pulse entry 1 + -ate entry 4 — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pulsate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

pulsate

verb

pul·​sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt 

pulsated; pulsating

1

: to throb or move rhythmically

2

: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat

a heart pulsating

Medical Definition

pulsate

intransitive verb

pul·​sate

ˈpəl-ˌsāt also ˌpəl-ˈ

pulsated; pulsating

: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation

a pulsating artery