thundering

USTHUN-der-ing/ˈθʌndəɹɪŋ/UKTHUN-duh-ring/ˈθʌndəɹɪŋ/

Noun pluralthunderings

6 meanings of thundering

1
adjective
Making a noise like thunder, or having an effect like thunder.
The horses raced past with thundering hooves.
The crowd gave the singer thundering applause at the end of the show.
Similarthunderous, deafening, booming, resounding, roaring
2
verb
Present participle and gerund of thunder. Use it after words like is or was, or to name the action.
It was thundering all night, so the dog hid under the bed.
The kids came thundering down the stairs for breakfast.
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
A loud, booming sound like thunder.
We could hear the thundering of the trains from our apartment.
The thundering of the drums made the whole floor shake.
Similarrumbling, pounding, drumming, roar, booming
Note
4
adjective
Having to do with thunder, or happening along with thunder.
A thundering storm kept us inside all afternoon.
Dark, thundering clouds rolled in over the hills.
Similarthundery, stormy
5
adjectivecolloquial
Very big or very great, much more than usual.
That dog next door is a thundering nuisance.
She spent a thundering lot of money on that car.
Similartremendous, huge, great, enormous
Note

Less common meaning

6
nounarchaic
A storm with loud thunder and flashes of lightning.
A thundering came over the hills, and heavy rain soon fell.
The farmers rushed to bring in the hay before the thundering came and soaked the fields.
Note

thundering is a form of thunder

thunder, verb: To make a very loud, deep sound, like a storm. Full entry

Forms: thunderthunders he/she/itthundering -ing formthundered past tense, past participle
Spelling: thunder → thundering: add -ing

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4–5

From thunder + -ing.

Meanings 3, 6

From an Old English word meaning “thunder,” made from thunder + -ing.