thunder

1 of 2

noun

thun·​der ˈthən-dər 

1

: the sound that follows a flash of lightning and is caused by sudden expansion of the air in the path of the electrical discharge

2

: bang, rumble

the thunder of big guns

3

: a loud utterance or threat

thunder

2 of 2

verb

thundered; thundering ˈthən-d(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to produce thunder

—usually used impersonally

it thundered

b

: to give forth a sound that resembles thunder

horses thundered down the road

2

: roar, shout

transitive verb

1

: to utter loudly : roar

2

: to strike with a sound likened to thunder

thunderer

ˈthən-dər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

Verb

• bellow
• boom
• growl
• roar

Examples of thunder in a Sentence

Noun

Her dog is afraid of thunder.

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

Suddenly there was a loud clap of thunder.

We could hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.

the thunder of horses' hooves

the distant thunder of cannon fire

She accepted the award to a thunder of applause.

Verb

The sky thundered and the rain poured down.

It was raining and thundering all night.

Guns thundered in the distance.

Horses thundered down the road.

Trucks thundered past on the highway.

“How dare you come into my house!” he thundered.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Padres have plenty of thunder in their offense, but Alonso may be a missing piece that gets them closer to defeating the Dodgers. —Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The deity is also linked to earthquakes, thunder, darkness, storms, and death and was widely regarded as the most powerful force of evil in Egyptian theology. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

Forty percent of countries have had a woman leader, but Harris’s governance of one of the world’s most powerful states would send a thundering message across the globe. —Linda Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024

The thundering Danny Elfman score and the catchy Prince songs, Anton Furst’s gothic production design and Jack Nicholson’s bombastic performance: Batman is bold and giddy, powered by artists who have been allowed to dream big. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thoner, thunder, from Old English thunor; akin to Old High German thonar thunder, Latin tonare to thunder

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing thunder

• a face like thunder
• steal one's thunder
• steal someone's thunder
• thunder egg
• thunder lizard

Kids Definition

thunder

1 of 2 noun

thun·​der ˈthən-dər 

1

: the loud sound that follows a flash of lightning

2

: a noise like thunder

thunder

2 of 2 verb

thundered; thundering -d(ə-)riŋ 

1

a

: to produce thunder

b

: to produce a sound like thunder

horses thundered down the road

2

: to utter loudly

the people thundered their approval

thunderer

-dər-ər 

noun