heartbeat

noun

heart·​beat ˈhärt-ˌbēt 

1

: one complete pulsation of the heart

2

: the vital center or driving impulse

3

: a brief space of time : flash

—used chiefly in the phrase in a heartbeat

Synonyms

• beat
• eyeblink
• flash
• instant
• jiff
• jiffy
• minute
• moment
• nanosecond
• New York minute
• second
• shake
• split second
• trice
• twinkle
• twinkling
• wink

Examples of heartbeat in a Sentence

The patient had a rapid heartbeat.

I'd accept a job offer from that company in a heartbeat.

Recent Examples on the Web

The good news for this year’s team is that there was another variable in many of those games: The Red Wings were without their captain and heartbeat, Dylan Larkin, for a crucial stretch in March. —Max Bultman, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025

Our analysis showed that patients who were admitted while their fetus was still believed to have a heartbeat were far more likely to develop sepsis. —CNN, 21 Feb. 2025

Our analysis also showed that patients admitted while their fetus was still believed to have a heartbeat were far more likely to contract sepsis. —Andrea Suozzo, ProPublica, 20 Feb. 2025

Because her fetus still had a heartbeat, her doctors could not treat her miscarriage. —Charlotte Alter, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heartbeat

• heartbeat law
• in a heartbeat

Rhymes for heartbeat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

heartbeat

noun

heart·​beat ˈhärt-ˌbēt 

: a single contracting and expanding of the heart

Medical Definition

heartbeat

noun

heart·​beat ˈhärt-ˌbēt 

: one complete pulsation of the heart