palpitate

[ pal-pi-teyt ]
See synonyms for palpitate on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object),pal·pi·tat·ed, pal·pi·tat·ing.
  1. to pulsate with unusual rapidity from exertion, emotion, disease, etc.; flutter: His heart palpitated wildly.

  2. to pulsate; quiver; throb; tremble.

verb (used with object),pal·pi·tat·ed, pal·pi·tat·ing.
  1. to cause to pulsate or tremble.

Origin of palpitate

1
1615–25; <Latin palpitātus, past participle of palpitāre to pulsate, frequentative of palpāre to stroke. See palpus, -ate1

synonym study For palpitate

1. See pulsate.

Other words from palpitate

  • pal·pi·tat·ing·ly, adverb
  • un·pal·pi·tat·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use palpitate in a sentence

  • Her eyes flashed, her bosom palpitated, her hand made passionate gestures, and she really seemed a young fury let loose.

  • It seemed to the little group of friends as if the whole city palpitated with the fact.

    The Precipice | Elia Wilkinson Peattie
  • He felt a shortness of breath, his heart palpitated, his head grew dizzy, and his limbs trembled; but he knew not its cause.

    Clotelle | William Wells Brown
  • She was approaching her threshold; the blood left her cheek, her heart palpitated.

    Sybil | Benjamin Disraeli
  • All palpitated with the blood of life, yet all were the products of previous toil.

British Dictionary definitions for palpitate

palpitate

/ (ˈpælpɪˌteɪt) /


verb(intr)
  1. (of the heart) to beat with abnormal rapidity

  2. to flutter or tremble

Origin of palpitate

1
C17: from Latin palpitāre to throb, from palpāre to stroke

Derived forms of palpitate

  • palpitant, adjective
  • palpitation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012