palpitate

verb

pal·​pi·​tate ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt How to pronounce palpitate (audio)
palpitated; palpitating

intransitive verb

: to beat rapidly and strongly : throb
My heart began to palpitate when I was announced as the winner.

Examples of palpitate in a Sentence

My heart began to palpitate when I was announced as the winner. the man's heart began to palpitate, and he feared another attack was coming on
Recent Examples on the Web Representing heart-palpitating romance is the main storyline: the passion of Megha’s son Naveen (Carol Mazhuvancheril) for his boyfriend, Keshav (Noah Israel), a fellow Hindu who happens to be Caucasian. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2023 The matte, phosphorescent sigils painted onto his robe appeared to palpitate in the low light. Kent Russell, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 In one of the raciest vignettes, a man buys and eats fresh dumplings on a train, intermittently palpitating his sore gums with his fingers. Sophie Pinkham, The New York Review of Books, 8 May 2020 My heart palpitates at the seriousness of his tone. Kelly Meldrum, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2019 Angelica Hernández’s heart hasn’t stopped palpitating for a week. Washington Post, 11 Jan. 2020 Angelica Hernández's heart hasn't stopped palpitating for a week. Author: Arelis R. Hernández, Cristina Corujo, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Jan. 2020 The past three seasons, their games were marked by palpitating comebacks. New York Times, 23 Nov. 2019 Anyway, back to the point: Rachel Bilson bumped into Adam Brody at JFK Airport, and the hearts of millennials across the globe promptly stopped, palpitated, or completely exploded. Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, 14 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'palpitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin palpitatus, past participle of palpitare, frequentative of palpare to stroke

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of palpitate was circa 1623

Dictionary Entries Near palpitate

Cite this Entry

“Palpitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palpitate. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

palpitate

verb
pal·​pi·​tate ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt How to pronounce palpitate (audio)
palpitated; palpitating
: to beat rapidly and strongly : throb, quiver

Medical Definition

palpitate

intransitive verb
pal·​pi·​tate ˈpal-pə-ˌtāt How to pronounce palpitate (audio)
palpitated; palpitating
: to beat rapidly, irregularly, or forcibly
used especially of the heart

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