thundering

/'θʌndəriɳ/

Thân thiện

The crowd gave a thundering applause after the performance.

Definition

Adjective 1. Making a loud, deep, rumbling sound like thunder. * The thundering roar of the waterfall could be heard from miles away. * We were woken by a thundering crash during the storm. 2. (Informal) Extremely large, impressive, or intense. * The film was a thundering success at the box office. * He made a thundering mistake by ignoring the warnings.

Usage

• The primary meaning describes a sound that is deep, powerful, and resonant, similar to the noise of thunder.
• The informal, figurative meaning is used for emphasis to describe something as very great in size, degree, or effect. It often carries a slightly exaggerated or dramatic tone.

Examples

• Describing sound:
  • The thundering applause filled the concert hall.
  • The thundering hooves of the horses shook the ground.
• Describing intensity or size (informal):
  • She gave a thundering speech that inspired the whole team.
  • He's a thundering great idiot for saying that.

Advanced Usage

• "The thundering herd": A famous phrase, often used to describe a large, noisy, and unstoppable group of people or animals moving together.
  • When the store opened, it was like trying to stop a thundering herd of shoppers.
• "A thundering silence": A powerful literary device describing a silence that is so profound and tense it feels loud and significant.
  • After his accusation, a thundering silence fell over the room.

Variants and Related Words

• Thunder (n/v): The loud rumbling or crashing sound heard after a lightning flash; to make this sound.
  • We heard a clap of thunder. (n)
  • The trucks thundered down the highway. (v)
• Thunderous (adj): Very loud and powerful, like thunder. Often used interchangeably with the first meaning of "thundering."
  • The announcement was met with thunderous applause.

Synonyms

• For sound: Roaring, booming, rumbling, deafening, resounding.
• For intensity (informal): Tremendous, colossal, monumental, whopping, stupendous.

Related Phrases

• Thunder and lightning: Used together to describe a storm with both audible thunder and visible lightning; metaphorically, it can describe a fierce or dramatic argument or display.
  • Their debate was like thunder and lightning.
• Steal someone's thunder: To take attention or credit away from someone, especially by doing or saying what they had planned.
  • I was about to announce my promotion, but my colleague stole my thunder by announcing hers first.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. extraordinarily big or impressive
   • a thundering success
   • the thundering silence of what was left unsaid
2. sounding like thunder
   • the thundering herd