Thunderous Meaning
/ˈθʌn.də.ɹəs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjVery loud; that sounds like thunder; thundersome. Also in metaphorical expressions, signifying fury.
Sentence Examples
The soprano received thunderous applause for her performance.
The drumming of his fingers was thunderous to Alicia's sensitive ears.
She made her entry to the sound of thunderous applause.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The audience gave a ____ applause that lasted for several minutes after the speech.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The audience gave the performers a ____ round of applause after the final scene of the exciting play today.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English thunder Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ōtsos or *-otsos Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English thunderous From thunder + -ous.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But when the moon rose and the breeze awakened, and the sedges stirred, and the cat's-paws raced across the moonlit ponds, and the far surf off Wonder Head intoned the hymn of the four winds, the trinity, earth and sky and water, became one thunderous symphony—a harmony of sound and colour silvered to a monochrome by the moon."
— 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
"He inflated his chest, twirled his moustache, and thumped the table with a revulsion to thunderous indignation."
— 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 85:
"Mr Quelch, with a thunderous brow, marched on."
— 1932, Frank Richards, “The Complete Outsider”, in The Magnet:
"I remember the sudden drop in the note of the station bell, as we roar through, perhaps with 16 coaches; sweep up to milepost 9½, and then, with increasing thunder from the exhaust, fairly rush the fells at Milnthorpe at the foot of the climb to Grayrigg, until the steady thunderous beat re-echoes past Mosedale Hall, still at 40 m.p.h."
— 1955 April, W. J. Alcock, “Unforgettable Moments”, in Railway Magazine, page 271:
"After the hour mark, events in Manchester were almost becoming a distraction such was the thunderous cheer from the United fans to greet QPR taking their unlikely lead against City."
— 2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The audience gave a ____ applause that lasted for several minutes after the speech.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The audience gave the performers a ____ round of applause after the final scene of the exciting play today.