Thump Is the Sound It Names
A thump is a dull heavy blow or the sound of one. English builds a whole family of impact words from sound alone.
A thump is a dull heavy blow, or the muffled sound one makes. English distinguishes impacts almost entirely by sound: a *thump* is dull and heavy, a *thud* duller still, a *bang* sharp and loud, a *crack* sharp and brittle, a *clang* metallic, a *slap* flat and stinging. Each is imitative, and speakers agree on the differences without ever being taught them. The word appears in English from the 1530s.
- A dull heavy blow. *A thump on the back.*
- To hit heavily. *Thump the table.*
- A heartbeat. *A thumping heart.*
- Thud — a duller sound. *A thud.*
- Imitative. *From the 1530s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | thump | Thump it. |
| Past | thumped | Thumped. |
| Noun | thump | A thump. |
| Adjective | thumping | A thumping win. |
| Related | thud | A thud. |
- The box landed with a thump.Sound.
- His heart was thumping.Heartbeat.
- They won by a thumping margin.Emphasis.
English impact sounds
- Thump — dull and heavy
- Thud — duller, often of something falling
- Bang — loud and sharp
- Crack — sharp and brittle
- Clang — metallic and resonant
Imitative, from the 1530s, of the sound of a heavy blow.
What is the difference between a thump and a thud?
A thud is duller and usually describes something falling; a thump is heavier and often deliberate.
Why does thumping mean large?
From the sense of a heavy impressive blow, extended to anything impressively big, as in a thumping majority.