palpitate

9 synonyms for palpitate, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — Of the heart, to beat unusually fast, hard or irregularly, so that you become aware of it.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

pound race

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

quake

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

flutter throb thump quiver tremble shudder

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

Of the heart, to beat unusually fast, hard or irregularly, so that you become aware of it.

“Her heart began to palpitate as soon as she saw the caller ID.”

pound race flutter throb thump quake quiver

2. verb literary

To tremble or quiver, especially with fear or excitement.

“The whole crowd seemed to palpitate as the countdown reached zero.”

quiver tremble shudder

How to use palpitate

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

heart palpitates palpitating with fear cause palpitations

Slightly formal or literary as a verb; the noun palpitations is entirely everyday.

Etymology

From Latin palpitare 'to throb, flutter', a frequentative of palpare 'to touch gently, stroke'.

Full origin of palpitate →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between palpitate and palpate?

To palpitate is to throb or beat rapidly, and it is what the heart does. To palpate is what a clinician does with their hands, pressing on the body to examine it. The words share a Latin root but are not interchangeable.

Are heart palpitations dangerous?

Usually not. Most are caused by caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, stress, exercise or hormonal changes and pass on their own. Seek medical advice if they come with chest pain, breathlessness or fainting, or if they are frequent and prolonged.

What is the noun form?

Palpitation, most often used in the plural: 'she went to the doctor about palpitations'.

People also searched

race pound quake quiver throb tremble thump shudder flutter

Nearby words

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