palpitate

verb

ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt How to pronounce palpitate (audio)
Definition of palpitatenext
as in to throb
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

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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 palpitate 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 The finale had the impossible task of putting the monstrous show to an unquiet grave, and while some storylines seemed rushed and others completely ignored, even everyone’s least favorite season of GOT is heart palpitating. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025 The matte, phosphorescent sigils painted onto his robe appeared to palpitate in the low light. — Kent Russell, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 In one of the raciest vignettes, a man buys and eats fresh dumplings on a train, intermittently palpitating his sore gums with his fingers. — Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 8 May 2020 Angelica Hernández's heart hasn't stopped palpitating for a week. — Author: Arelis R. Hernández, Cristina Corujo, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Jan. 2020 Angelica Hernández’s heart hasn’t stopped palpitating for a week. — Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2020 The past three seasons, their games were marked by palpitating comebacks. — New York Times, 23 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for palpitate
  1. throb
  2. beat
  3. vibrate
  4. pulse
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 throb
Verb
  • Built along a verdant slope edging Bodrum’s Paradise Bay, this contemporary property offers hard-to-beat vistas.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Hastert became a congressional candidate in 1986 and beat the Democrat with 52% of the vote, his smallest margin of victory in a congressional race.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of beat
Verb
  • This is an album full of stars, storms, and horizons, the depths of visible color vibrating in invisible air.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
  • This thermal burst causes nearby atoms to vibrate randomly before the lattice settles down again.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of vibrate
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 pulse

Browse Nearby Words

palping
palpitate
palpitated
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Cite this Entry

“Palpitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/palpitate. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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