Standard Lemma guide

palpitate

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpælpɪteɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AE1 L P AH0 T EY0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To beat strongly or rapidly; said especially of the heart.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • When he just looks at me, my heart begins to palpitate with excitement.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cause to beat strongly or rapidly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The allergy medicine palpitates my heart.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To shake tremulously

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

beat rapidly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His heart palpitated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flutter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beat, pound, thump

5

verb

Meaning 5

shake with fast, tremulous movements

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • His nostrils palpitated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: quiver, quake

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tremble

6

verb

Meaning 6

cause to throb or beat rapidly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her violent feelings palpitated the young woman's heart

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shake, agitate

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin palpitō, palpitātus (“throb, pulsate, palpitate”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: бия (bija) — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Bulgarian: пулсирам (pulsiram) — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Chinese Mandarin: 悸動 /悸动 (jìdòng) — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Finnish: tykyttää — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Finnish: hakata — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Finnish: jyskyttää — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Kabuverdianu: palpita — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Māori: kapakapatū — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Māori: hotohoto — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Māori: huahuaki — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Māori: moko(w)hiti — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Māori: kakapa — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Māori: whētuki — of the heart: to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Finnish: aiheuttaa tykytystä — to cause to beat strongly or rapidly
  • Bulgarian: треперя (treperja) — to shake tremulously
  • Chinese Mandarin: 顫抖 /颤抖 (chàndǒu) — to shake tremulously
  • Finnish: täristä — to shake tremulously
  • Finnish: väristä — to shake tremulously
  • Finnish: hytistä — to shake tremulously
  • Kabuverdianu: palpita — to shake tremulously