pitter-pattering

Definition of pitter-patteringnext
present participle of pitter-patter
as in throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner his heart pitter-pattered with excitement as he waited for the right moment to propose

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pitter-pattering
Verb
  • With osteomalacia and rickets, a person may experience throbbing bone discomfort and muscle weakness and pain.
    Mark Stibich, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2026
  • That’s why my leg is throbbing.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Scottie Barnes won the opening 12-minute game for the Stars with a game-ending 3-pointer in overtime, beating the World 37-36 after Edwards forced OT.
    Greg Beacham, Twin Cities, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Shooting and beating American citizens in the streets, demolishing history, covering up obvious crimes, threatening our allies, targeting political adversaries and using the office for personal enrichment are just a few things that have occurred and gone unchecked by powers that control Congress.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The island's stunning Blue Lagoon starkly contrasts tropical shores vibrating with life during the rainier months.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Someone’s phone is always vibrating, a gimmick that often strikes me as contrived in a movie-movie but feels totally normalized in a reality-movie like The Moment.
    Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the sheer curtains came alive with layered projections — solar flares, pulsing wavelengths, images of Reznor casting ghostly echoes of himself across the gauze in duplicate, triplicate, quadruplicate.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Simone made art like her purpose was pulsing through her, coursing through her veins and embedded in her bloodstream.
    Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 9 Feb. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pitter-pattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitter-pattering. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

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!