thump

1 of 2

verb

ˈthəmp 

thumped; thumping; thumps

transitive verb

1

: to strike or beat with or as if with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound

2

: pound, knock

3

: whip, thrash

4

: to produce (music) mechanically or in a mechanical manner

—usually used with out

thumped out a tune on the piano

intransitive verb

1

a

: to inflict a thump

b

: to make or move with a thumping sound

2

: to make a vigorous endorsement

got a couple of … senators to thump for him

—The New York Herald Tribune

thumper noun

thump

2 of 2

noun

: a blow or knock with or as if with something blunt or heavy

also : the sound made by such a blow

Synonyms

Verb

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• tag
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Noun

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• fillip
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of thump in a Sentence

Verb

The boat thumped against the side of the pier.

thumped the desk with his hand as he delivered his speech

Noun

The ball landed with a thump.

gave her boyfriend a thump against the side of his head whenever he said something obnoxious

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Ohtani thumped the Sox during his American League MVP season in 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels, hitting seven home runs in seven games. —Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2024

David thumped Nathan Vo, the venture capitalist, amicably on the shoulder, and Antoni Bresciani, who stood at Rhys’s side with a glass of bourbon in hand, got a firm handshake. —Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 12 June 2024

Noun

Some Deaf people have some slight residual hearing, others may feel the thump of the bass, and many may enjoy the spectacle of the music or the feeling of the crowd. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024

The driver braked, but the car hit the buggy side-on—he’d never forget the noise, the thump. —Roddy Doyle, The New Yorker, 16 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

thump

verb

ˈthəmp

1

: to strike or beat with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound

2

: to beat heavily : pound

thump noun