thunder

noun

/ˈθʌndə(r)/

/ˈθʌndər/

[uncountable]Idioms

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the loud noise that you hear after a flash of lightning, during a storm
- the rumble of distant thunder
- a clap/crash/roll of thunder
- Thunder crashed in the sky.
Collocations The weather
The weatherGood weather
- be bathed in/bask in/be blessed with/enjoy bright/brilliant/glorious sunshine
- the sun shines/warms something/beats down (on something)
- the sunshine breaks/streams through something
- fluffy/wispy clouds drift across the sky
- a gentle/light/stiff/cool/warm/sea breeze blows in/comes in off the sea
- the snow crunches beneath/under somebody’s feet/boots
Bad weather
- thick/dark/storm clouds form/gather/roll in/cover the sky/block out the sun
- the sky darkens/turns black
- a fine mist hangs in the air
- a dense/heavy/thick fog rolls in
- the rain falls/comes down (in buckets/sheets)/pours down
- snow falls/comes down/covers something
- the wind blows/whistles/howls/picks up/whips through something/sweeps across something
- strong/gale-force winds blow/gust (up to 80 mph)
- a storm is approaching/is moving inland/hits/strikes/rages
- thunder rolls/rumbles/sounds
- (forked/sheet) lightning strikes/hits/flashes
- a (blinding/snow) blizzard hits/strikes/blows/rages
- a tornado touches down/hits/strikes/destroys something/rips through something
- forecast/expect/predict rain/snow/a category-four hurricane
- (North American English) pour (down)/ (British English) pour (down) with rain
- get caught in/seek shelter from/escape the rain
- be covered/shrouded in mist/a blanket of fog
- be in for/brave/shelter from a/the storm
- hear rolling/distant thunder
- be battered/buffeted by strong winds
- (British English) be blowing a gale
- battle against/brave the elements
The weather improves
- the sun breaks through the clouds
- the sky clears/brightens (up)/lightens (up)
- the clouds part/clear
- the rain stops/lets up/holds off
- the wind dies down
- the storm passes
- the mist/fog lifts/clears
Topics Weatherc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- loud
- rolling
- rumbling
- …
… of thunder
- clap
- crack
- crash
- …
thunder + verb
- boom
- crack
- crash
- …
thunder + noun
- clap
- cloud
preposition
- thunder of
phrases
- the sound of thunder
- thunder and lightning
See full entry
a loud noise like thunder
- the thunder of horses' hooves
- The thunder of gunfire announced the beginning of the attack.

Word OriginOld English thunor (noun), thunrian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch donder and German Donner (noun), from an Indo-European root shared by Latin tonare ‘to thunder’.

Idioms

somebody’s face is like thunder | somebody has a face like thunder

somebody looks very angry
- Mr Hibbs came in with a face like thunder.
Topics Appearancec2, Feelingsc2

steal somebody’s thunder

to get the attention, success, etc. that somebody else was expecting, usually by saying or doing what they had intended to say or doTopics Successc2

thunder

verb

/ˈθʌndə(r)/

/ˈθʌndər/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they thunder	/ˈθʌndə(r)/ /ˈθʌndər/
he / she / it thunders	/ˈθʌndəz/ /ˈθʌndərz/
past simple thundered	/ˈθʌndəd/ /ˈθʌndərd/
past participle thundered	/ˈθʌndəd/ /ˈθʌndərd/
-ing form thundering	/ˈθʌndərɪŋ/ /ˈθʌndərɪŋ/

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[intransitive] when it thunders, there is a loud noise in the sky during a stormTopics Weatherc1
[intransitive] to make a very loud, deep noise synonym roar
- A voice thundered in my ear.
- thundering traffic
[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move very fast and with a loud deep noise synonym roar
- Heavy trucks kept thundering past.
- The horse raced across the pasture, its hooves thundering on the grass.
[transitive] thunder something + adv./prep. (informal) (especially in sport) to make something move somewhere very fast
- Essien thundered the ball past the goalie.
[intransitive, transitive] (literary) to shout, complain, etc. very loudly and angrily
- thunder (something) He thundered against the evils of television.
- + speech ‘Sit still!’ she thundered.

Word OriginOld English thunor (noun), thunrian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch donder and German Donner (noun), from an Indo-European root shared by Latin tonare ‘to thunder’.