palpitate
/ˈpalpɪteɪt
/verb
1 [no object] (often as adjective palpitating) (Of the heart) beat rapidly, strongly, or irregularly: drink wakened him in the night with a palpitating heart...
- I slipped out of the school gates, my heart palpitating rapidly yet I could hear every individual beat of my heart, echoing in my head.
- Hearts palpitating, ears magnifying the smallest sound, they stealthily waded across the river.
- THERE I was, heart palpitating after Laois minors' injury time equaliser against Westmeath in Croke Park last Sunday, but still there was work to be done.
Synonyms
beat rapidly, pound, throb, pulsate, pulse, thud, thump, hammer, flutter, pitter-patter, go pit-a-pat, quiver, pump, race, pant, thrill
rare quop
2Shake; tremble: she was palpitating with terror...
- As grandmas go into palpitating convulsions of disbelief, and all of contemporary society looks down at me from their pedestals of purity, let me just state that I'm not average.
- So, everyone from palpitating fans to scribes will have to wait till the designated launch day to actually get to see the book, which is said to have an orange cover.
- She palpitates visibly, and retires to the photocopier.
Synonyms
tremble, quiver, quake, shake, shake like a leaf, shiver, shudder
rare quave
Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin palpitat- 'patted', from the verb palpitare, frequentative of palpare 'touch gently'.