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

Elsewhere in the booth are pulsating Op art–inflected pieces by Younes Khourassani, who studied under Hamidi at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Casablanca in the late ’90s and early 2000s. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 31 Jan. 2025

The other pulsated from the outskirts of a distant old, dead galaxy no longer producing stars, according to a new study. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Jan. 2025

The borders of each one could begin to pulsate with every subsequent presidential handover. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s pulsating Globe-winning score for Challengers also looks to have no serious challengers in its way to victory after this first win at the Globes. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Jan. 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

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