English Dictionary
Definition of “thunder”
thunder (ˈθʌndə
)
Definitions
noun
- a loud cracking or deep rumbling noise caused by the rapid expansion of atmospheric gases which are suddenly heated by lightning
- any loud booming sound
- rare a violent threat or denunciation
- See steal someone's thunder
verb
- to make (a loud sound) or utter (words) in a manner suggesting thunder
- (intr; with it as subject) to be the case that thunder is being heard
- (intr) to move fast and heavily ⇒
the bus thundered downhill
- (intr) to utter vehement threats or denunciation; rail
Alternative Forms
ˈthunderer noun ˈthundery adjective Word Origin
Old English thunor; related to Old Saxon thunar, Old High German donar, Old Norse thōrr; see Thor, Thursday
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
thunderclap,
roll of thunder thunder crack peal of thunder=
rumble,
crash,
crashing,
boom,
booming,
explosion,
rumbling,
pealing,
detonation,
cracking,
=
rumble,
crash,
blast,
boom,
explode,
roar,
clap,
resound,
detonate,
reverberate,
crack,
peal,
Translations
- British English:
thunder
Thunder is the loud noise that you hear from the sky after a flash of lightning, especially during a storm.There was frequent thunder and lightning, and torrential rain.ˈθʌndə NOUN There was frequent thunder and lightning, and torrential rain.
- Spanish:
trueno
nm
- French:
tonnerre
nm
- German:
Donner
nm
- Chinese: 雷 n
- Arabic: رَعْد n
- Portuguese: trovão nm
- Russian: гром nm
- Croatian: grom nm
- Czech: hrom nm
- Danish: torden nutr
- Dutch: donder nm
- Finnish: ukkonen n
- Greek: βροντή nf
- Italian: tuono nm
- Japanese: 雷鳴 n
- Korean: 천둥 n
- Norwegian: torden nm
- Polish: grzmot nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: trovão nm
- European Spanish:
trueno
nm
- Swedish: åska nutr
- Thai: เสียงฟ้าร้อง n
- Turkish: gök gürültüsü n
- Vietnamese: sấm n
Usage examples
No one could disturb him there, nothing could reach him - except for the dreaded thunder of his father's voice in anger.
Heller, Keith, Man's Loving Family (1986)The terse words and the piercing images that it conjured up spoke of distant thunder.
India Today (1998)The thunder of the machinery sometimes drowns out what he has to say.
New Zealand Herald (2003)But Westmeath have, if anything, stolen their thunder - so far.
Belfast Telegraph (2004)A storm had been threatening all the afternoon, and there were thunder clouds over the sea.
Carr, Philippa, We'll Meet Again (1993)
