DictionaryAI

thunder

THUN-der/ˈθʌndɚ/UKTHUN-duh/ˈθʌndə/

Pluralthunders (some meanings)

Verbthunders, thundering, thundered

9 meanings of thunder

Practice

  1. 1
    sound of lightningnoununcountable
    The loud rumbling or cracking sound that lightning makes in a storm.

    The thunder was so loud that the dog hid under the bed.

    We counted the seconds between the lightning and the thunder.

    UsageSay a clap of thunder. Thunder rumbles or crashes.

  2. 2
    make deep noiseverbintransitive
    To make a very loud, deep sound, like a storm.

    You can hear the big waterfall thunder long before you see it.

    The crowd's cheers thundered through the stadium when she scored the winning goal.

    Similarroar, boom, rumble

    Note
  3. 3
    noununcountable
    A deep, loud rumbling sound, like the noise of a storm.

    We could hear the thunder of the trucks on the highway all night.

    The thunder of the crowd's feet shook the old wooden stands.

    UsageSay the thunder of something: the thunder of the trucks.

    Similarroar, rumble, boom

  4. 4
    verbtransitive or intransitive
    To move very fast, or send or hit something with great force, often with a loud noise.

    Big trucks thunder past our house every morning.

    He thundered his old motorbike up the driveway.

    UsageOften thunder past or thunder through.

    Similarroar, rumble, hurtle, race, charge

  5. 5
    shout angrilyverbtransitive or intransitive
    To speak or say something in a loud voice that sounds like a threat.

    Dad thundered a warning about the broken window.

    Please don't thunder at the kids when they make a mistake.

    UsageOften thunder against something or thunder at someone.

    Similarbellow, roar, shout, boom, rail

    Oppositewhisper

  6. 6
    in a stormverbintransitive
    To make the loud sound that comes with lightning in a storm.

    It thundered all night, and the baby could not sleep.

    Do you think it will thunder later today?

Less common meanings

  1. 7
    nouncountable or uncountable
    A frightening warning or angry attack in words that shocks people.

    Despite all the thunder from critics, the movie was a big hit.

    For weeks the newspapers were full of thunder against the new tax.

    UsageOften thunder against something, or the thunders of a powerful group.

    Similardenunciation, tirade, threat

    Note
  2. 8
    lightning boltnounobsoletecountable
    A bolt of lightning, also called a thunderbolt.
    The revenging gods / 'Gainst parricides did all their thunders bend.
    c. 1603, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”Here, thunders means thunderbolts, flashes of lightning from the sky.
    Note
  3. 9
    noun
    One of the very long made-up words in the book Finnegans Wake.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of thunder apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from the Old English word þunor, meaning 'thunder'. The name of the god Thor comes from the same old root.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts