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

In our current climate of FYC campaigns pulsating as Emmys voting nears, this award show feels like a breath of fresh air in the midst of festival season and before our official awards season kicks off. —Vincent Perella, IndieWire, 16 June 2024

And that’s to say nothing of the neo-mythic tenor mixed with ultraviolent realism pulsating through each story line. —Andy Andersen, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2024

Satellite-laser scans have recently revealed more than 400 areas across Antarctica that pulsate faintly in time lapse, like subwoofers, as the lakes deep beneath them fill and drain. —Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 June 2024

Tournament officials threw on some loud music that pulsated through the stadium, and one shirtless guy jumped out of the seats and ran toward a sand bunker. —The Arizona Republic, 12 June 2024

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