pulsate

verb

pul·​sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt How to pronounce pulsate (audio)
 also  ˌpəl-ˈsāt
pulsated; pulsating

intransitive verb

1
: to throb or move rhythmically : vibrate
2
: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat

Examples of pulsate in a Sentence

The lights pulsated with the music. People danced to the pulsating sounds of hip-hop. Virtually every scene of the movie pulsates with suspense.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Attention is paid to sound as well as to visuals, and Flying Lotus’ score is excellent, a head-nodding blend of pulsating rhythms, abrasive noise, and atmospheric synths. Katie Rife, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025 As pulsating techno music filled the room, which was bathed in red light (a reference to Lynch), models came out of cubicles wearing what looked like a blend of underwear and eveningwear. Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025 The team aims to better understand why some auroras flicker, others pulsate and others appear to have holes. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 25 Jan. 2025 The festival’s Meet Street marketplace turned Port Royal into a buzzing culinary hotspot, where over 60 vendors served up a fusion of street food classics and cocktails with artisans selling their fare against the backdrop of pulsating rhythms at Jamaica’s historic Port Royal. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pulsate

Word History

Etymology

in part borrowed from Latin pulsātus, past participle of pulsāre "to strike with repeated blows, beat, (in passive) beat wildly (of the heart)," frequentative or repetitive derivative of pellere "to beat against, push, strike"; in part from pulse entry 1 + -ate entry 4 — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pulsate was in 1744

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pulsate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pulsate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

pulsate

verb
pul·​sate ˈpəl-ˌsāt How to pronounce pulsate (audio)
pulsated; pulsating
1
: to throb or move rhythmically
2
: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation : beat
a heart pulsating

Medical Definition

pulsate

intransitive verb
pul·​sate
ˈpəl-ˌsāt also ˌpəl-ˈ
pulsated; pulsating
: to exhibit a pulse or pulsation
a pulsating artery

More from Merriam-Webster on pulsate

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