thunder

CEFRB1

/ˈθʌndə/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The loud rumbling sound that follows lightning.

  2. 02

    verb

    To make a loud deep rumbling sound.

Examples

  • I heard it thunder in the distance.

  • The flash of lightning precedes the sound of thunder.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A deep, rumbling noise resembling thunder.

  2. An alarming or startling threat or denunciation.

  3. The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt.

More examples

In context

  • We took cover from the thunder shower.

  • Off in the distance, he heard the thunder of hoofbeats, signalling a stampede.

  • Thunder is preceded by lightning.

Synonyms

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Origin

noun

From Middle English thunder, thonder, thundre, thonre, thunnere, þunre, from Old English þunor (“thunder”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunr, from Proto-Germanic *þunraz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ten-, *(s)tenh₂- (“to thunder”). Compare astound, astonish, stun. Germanic cognates include West Frisian tonger, Dutch donder, German Donner, Old Norse Þórr (English Thor), Danish torden, Norwegian Nynorsk tore. Other cognates include Persian تندر (tondar), Latin tonō, detonō, Ancient Greek στένω (sténō), στενάζω (stenázō), στόνος (stónos), Στέντωρ (Sténtōr), Irish torann, Welsh taran, Gaulish Taranis. Doublet of donner, Thunor, and Thor.