Definitions for thunder
ˈθʌn dərthun·der

Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. boom, roar, roaring, thundernoun

   a deep prolonged loud noise

2. thundernoun

   a booming or crashing noise caused by air expanding along the path of a bolt of lightning

3. big H, hell dust, nose drops, smack, thunder, skag, scagverb

   street names for heroin

4. thunderverb

   move fast, noisily, and heavily

   "The bus thundered down the road"

5. thunder, roarverb

   utter words loudly and forcefully

   "`Get out of here,' he roared"

6. thunder, boomverb

   be the case that thunder is being heard

   "Whenever it thunders, my dog crawls under the bed"

7. thunderverb

   to make or produce a loud noise

   "The river thundered below"; "The engine roared as the driver pushed the car to full throttle"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. thundernoun

   The sound caused by the discharge of atmospheric electrical charge.

   Thunder is preceded by lightning.

2. thundernoun

   A sound resembling thunder.

3. thundernoun

   A deep, rumbling noise.

   Off in the distance, he heard the thunder of hoofbeats, signalling a stampede.

4. thunderverb

   To make a noise like thunder.

5. thunderverb

   To talk with a loud, threatening voice.

   "Get back to work at once!", he thundered.

6. thunderverb

   To say (something) with a loud, threatening voice.

7. thunderverb

   To produce something with incredible power

8. Etymology: From þunor, from þunraz, from *þen, from (s)ten(ə)-. Compare Persian (tondar).

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. THUNDERnoun

   Thunder is a most bright flame rising on a sudden, moving with great violence, and with a very rapid velocity, through the air, according to any determination, upwards from the earth, horizontally, obliquely, downwards, in a right line, or in several right lines, as it were in serpentine tracts, joined at various angles, and commonly ending with a loud noise or rattling. Peter van Musschenbroek

   Etymology: ðunder, ðunor , Saxon; dunder, Swedish; dender, Dutch; tonnere, Fr.

   2. In popular and poetick language thunder is commonly the noise, and lightning the flash; though thunder is sometimes taken for both.

   I do not bid the thunder bearer shoot,
   Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove. William Shakespeare.

   No more, thou thunder master, shew
   Thy spite on mortal flies. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.

   The revenging gods
   ’Gainst parricides all the thunder bend. William Shakespeare.

   The thunder
   Wing’d with red light’ning and impetuous rage,
   Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases now
   To bellow through the vast and boundless deep. John Milton.

   3. Any loud noise or tumultuous violence.

   So fierce he laid about him, and dealt blows
   On either side, that neither mail could hold
   Ne shield defend the thunder of his throws. Edmund Spenser.

   Here will we face this storm of insolence,
   Nor fear the noisy thunder; let it roll,
   Then burst, and spend at once its idle rage. Nicholas Rowe.

2. To Thunderverb

   1. To emit with noise and terrour.

   Oracles severe,
   Were daily thunder’d in our general’s ear,
   That by his daughter’s blood we must appease
   Diana’s kindled wrath. Dryden.

   2. To publish any denunciation or threat.

   An archdeacon, as being a prelate, may thunder out an ecclesiastical censure. John Ayliffe.

3. To Thunderverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To make thunder.

   His nature is too noble for the world:
   He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,
   Nor Jove for’s power to thunder. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   2. To make a loud or terrible noise.

   So soon as some few notable examples had thundered a duty into the subjects hearts, he soon shewed no baseness of suspicion. Philip Sidney, b. ii.

   His dreadful name late through all Spain did thunder,
   And Hercules’ two pillars standing near,
   Did make to quake and fear. Edmund Spenser.

   His dreadful voice no more
   Would thunder in my ears. John Milton.

   Like a black sheet the whelming billow spread,
   Burst o’er the float, and thunder’d on his head. Alexander Pope.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Thunder

   Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning produces rapid expansion of the air in the path of a lightning bolt. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave, often referred to as a "thunderclap" or "peal of thunder". The scientific study of thunder is known as brontology and the irrational fear (phobia) of thunder is called brontophobia.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Thundernoun

   the sound which follows a flash of lightning; the report of a discharge of atmospheric electricity

2. Thundernoun

   the discharge of electricity; a thunderbolt

3. Thundernoun

   any loud noise; as, the thunder of cannon

4. Thundernoun

   an alarming or statrling threat or denunciation

5. Thundernoun

   to produce thunder; to sound, rattle, or roar, as a discharge of atmospheric electricity; -- often used impersonally; as, it thundered continuously

6. Thundernoun

   fig.: To make a loud noise; esp. a heavy sound, of some continuance

7. Thundernoun

   to utter violent denunciation

8. Thunderverb

   to emit with noise and terror; to utter vehemently; to publish, as a threat or denunciation

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Thunder

   Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending on the distance and nature of the lightning, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble. The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave, similar to a sonic boom, which produces the sound of thunder, often referred to as a clap, crack, or peal of thunder. The distance of the lightning can be calculated by the listener based on the time interval from when the lightning is seen to when the sound is heard.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Thunder

   thun′dėr, n. the deep rumbling sound after a flash of lightning, a thunderbolt: any loud noise: an alarming denunciation.—v.i. to make thunder: to sound as thunder.—v.t. to give out with noise and terror: to publish a denunciation.—ns. Thun′derbolt, a bolt or shaft of lightning preceding a peal of thunder: anything sudden and irresistible: a daring or irresistible hero: ecclesiastical denunciation; Thun′der-clap, a sudden peal of thunder: the report of an explosion of electricity in the clouds; Thun′der-cloud, a cloud charged with electricity, which generally produces lightning and thunder; Thun′derer; Thun′dering, the report of a discharge of electricity in the clouds: thunder.—adj. unusually big, tremendous.—adv. Thun′deringly.—adjs. Thun′derless, without thunder; Thun′der-like (Shak.), like thunder, as a loud noise; Thun′derous, giving forth a sound like thunder, awful.—adv. Thun′derously.—ns. Thun′der-peal, a clap of thunder; Thun′der-plump, a heavy fall of rain in a thunder-storm; Thun′der-shower, a shower accompanied with thunder, or a short heavy shower from a thunder-cloud; Thun′der-stone (Shak.), a stone fabulously supposed to be hurled by thunder, and to do the damage of lightning, a thunderbolt: (geol.) a belemnite, so called from its dart-like shape; Thun′der-storm, continued discharges of electricity from the clouds, producing lightning and thunder, and generally accompanied with heavy rain.—v.t. Thun′der-strike, to strike as by lightning.—n. Thun′der-stroke (Shak.), a stroke or blast by lightning.—adjs. Thun′der-struck, struck by lightning: astonished: struck dumb; Thun′dery, indicative of thunder, or attended by it. [With intrusive d from A.S. þunor—þunian, to rattle; cog. with Ger. donner, Ice. þorr for þonr, L. tonāre.]

The Standard Electrical Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Thunder

   The violent report which, as we hear it, succeeds the lightning flash in stormy weather. It is really produced simultaneously with the lightning and is supposed to arise from disturbance of the air by the discharge. The rolling noise has been attributed to successive reflections between clouds and earth, and to series of discharges reaching the ear from different distances and through air of varying density. The subject is obscure. By timing the interval from lightning flash to the report of the thunder an approximate estimate of the distance of the seat of discharge can be made. The first sound of the thunder should be timed. An almost concurrence of thunder and lightning indicates immediate proximity of the discharge. [Transcriber's note: The speed of sound at sea level is about 5 seconds per mile.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. thunder

   Song lyrics by thunder -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by thunder on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Move
   • Noise
   • Roar
   • Shout

How to pronounce thunder?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say thunder in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of thunder in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of thunder in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of thunder in a Sentence

1. Dejan Stojanovic:

   There is a moonlight note in the Moonlight Sonata; there is a thunder note in an angry sky.

2. Frederick Douglas:

   The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. . . .If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.

3. Clint Eastwood:

   They say marriages are made in heaven. But so is thunder and lightning

4. Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi:

   Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.

5. Rebecca Puhl:

   When we asked open-ended questions about people's experiences of weight stigma from family members, it was often really harsh criticism, teasing, making fun of them, those ranged from calling them fat or' thunder thighs' to making statements that they will never find anyone to date them because of their weight -- really disparaging comments that have a long-term impact.

Popularity rank by frequency of use