pitter-pattering

verb

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
  1. throbbing
  2. beating
  3. vibrating
  4. pulsing
Verb
  • Her voice, usually an attention-demanding force, is detached from the throbbing production.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Just two days later, Aitia was sitting in class when his newly pierced ear began throbbing with pain.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of throbbing
Verb
  • These two faced each other 13 times during the regular season, and the Braves were the clear victor, beating the Phillies nine times.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Segebart brought a stethoscope so Scharbach could hear Autumn’s heart beating in her chest.
    — Susan Young, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • Cycle through five different settings, from a rolling massager to vibrating pulses.
    — Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Although made of natural materials, these early instruments were played by vibrating the lips to send air into and through a hollow opening—the defining characteristic of a brass instrument.
    — Kara Rogers, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of vibrating
Verb
  • From a production design standpoint, every wrinkle and pulsing nodule of the stomach had to be created.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Some do impromptu handstands against the wall, their feet tapping to the music; others migrate to adjacent gym equipment, pulsing on workout rings, swinging on knotted climbing ropes or swiveling their hips on a Bosu balance ball.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of pulsing
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

pitter-pattered
pitter-pattering
pitter-patters
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pitter-pattering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pitter-pattering. Accessed 6 Oct. 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 regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All