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

At its center was a circular pool filled with pulsating water; outside in the garden, a choral arrangement by Bryars and his son Yuri sounded from the trees. —Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

Looking forward, the evolving landscape of subcultures promises to keep the pulse of fashion vibrant and pulsating with fresh energies and perspectives. —Fairchild Studio, WWD, 26 Nov. 2024

As well as being positioned very close to Earth’s north celestial pole, Polaris is a Cepheid variable, a star that pulsates and changes in brightness in a highly predictable way. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

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

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