palpitating 1 of 2

adjective

as in pulsating

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

palpitating

2 of 2

verb

present participle of palpitate
as in throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the man's heart began to palpitate, and he feared another attack was coming on

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of palpitating
Adjective
Relevant, heart-palpitating, thoughtful, emotional, tense, thrilling, devastating and joyful. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Verb
The heart-palpitating rhythms and glitchy stutters suggest some unholy mix of early Plastikman and Mark Fell, the vestiges of ’90s dance music reanimated into a herky-jerky Frankenstein’s monster. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 But two sweaty and heart-palpitating afternoons at Foley Field spoke a truth about Georgia, bound for the College World Series for the first time since 2008. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpitating
  1. pulsating
  2. throbbing
  3. beating
  4. pulsing
  5. vibrating
Adjective
  • Vinícius Júnior scored an equalizing goal in the 32nd minute, giving five-time champion Brazil a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match at the World Cup.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 June 2026
  • Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, five-time champion Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior's 32nd-minute goal to gain a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 June 2026
Definition of pulsating
Verb
  • No sweating, throbbing headache and skin that’s hot, red and dry are signs of heatstroke.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Workers are paying for it as the people in charge mostly ignore our throbbing national headache.
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 8 July 2026
Definition of throbbing
Verb
  • Rashford enticed the Ukrainian, then drove past him on the outside, further beating Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the area, forcing James Tarkowski to slide in to concede a corner.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Both teams are coming off dominant albeit unremarkable opening games after beating FCS opponents at home.
    — PJ Green September 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • Blood streamed through his veins, pulsing inside him, like a ticking time bomb.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Stream in the buttermilk while pulsing and pulse just enough to bring the dough together.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of pulsing
Verb
  • Following detection, the NCSU patch – about the size of a business card – alerts its wearer simply by vibrating against the skin.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The words in this and other magazines looked like vibrating ants.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of vibrating

Browse Nearby Words

palpitates
palpitating
palpitation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Palpitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitating. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of hobnob

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All