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palpitate

[pal-pi-tayt] / ˈpæl pɪˌteɪt /
VERB
beat at a rapid pace, like a heart
Synonyms
Antonyms
STRONG
be still steady


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“Seeing the hospital’s name come across caller ID, it caused my heart to palpitate a bit.”

From Washington Post ● Jun. 17, 2019

Walker: I mean, at first, it probably made my heart, like, palpitate, and be like, “Aw.”

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2017

“It makes my heart palpitate, the math,” she said.

From New York Times ● May 20, 2016

And although it made her heart palpitate temporarily, the remote danger of a heart attack seemed more bearable than losing her hearing.

From Nature ● Oct. 9, 2013

Damp with condensation, the brick walls appeared to palpitate in the lantern light, thrumming with the resounding force of the steam-powered engines and machinery in the rooms above.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

While he’s on the run, Sid’s mind palpitates with dread.

From New York Times ● Feb. 11, 2016

This is the first test of a new high-intensity underwater blue light source, and my heart palpitates in anticipation.

From New York Times ● Jun. 28, 2012

The air of the whole neighborhood palpitates with the muffled thunder of Wasps and Hornets on test stands in the research buildings.

From Time Magazine Archive

The omelette palpitates under his fork, unable to believe its luck.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Mr. Stevenson's exquisite essays one looks in vain for the great heart that palpitates through the pages of Charles Lamb.

From An Edinburgh Eleven Pencil Portraits from College Life by J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie

Mine, by contrast, palpitated so furiously that I braced myself for cardiac arrest.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 4, 2019

Betjeman's quatrains palpitated with cliches and such treacly rhymes as people/steeple, dutiful/beautiful and blue/true.

From Time Magazine Archive

No country has kept The Club busier or given it more nightmares than Britain, whose economy has palpitated in maddeningly regular intervals through a dozen sterling crises in 18 years.

From Time Magazine Archive

My heart palpitated in the sickness of fear, and I hurried on with irregular steps, not daring to look about me:

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Minute by minute the glow increased in brilliance till the little shrine palpitated with the fires of a midsummer sunset.

From Istar of Babylon A Phantasy by Margaret Horton Potter

“I’m sweating and my heart’s palpitating and all those things because I’m conditioned to be in that environment and go perform,” Baldwin said.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2022

The palpitating rhythm of her thoughts is reminiscent of trying to distract yourself from a Pap smear or a blood draw.

From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2022

“The crowd went berserk. Just for the occasion, we brought in EMTs who were standing by in case someone's heart started palpitating a little bit too quickly.”

From Fox News ● Jan. 29, 2020

Angelica Hernández’s heart hasn’t stopped palpitating for a week.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 11, 2020

Nerves twitched, and the vein in one wrist began palpitating.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller




Vocabulary lists containing palpitate


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