thunder
[noun]
Synonyms:
- rumble, boom, crash, explosion
[verb]
Synonyms:
- rumble, boom, crash, peal, resound, reverberate, roar
- shout, bark, bellow, roar, yell

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Related Words: fulmination

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. thun‧der¹ /ˈθʌndə $ -ər/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: thunor]

1. [uncountable] the loud noise that you hear during a storm, usually after a flash of lightning:
We were woken in the night by thunder.

2. [singular] a loud deep noise:
She heard the thunder of hooves behind her.

3. a face like thunder if someone has a face like thunder, they look very angry
⇒ blood-and-thunder, ⇒ steal sb’s thunder at steal¹(9)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. thunder² verb

1. [intransitive] if it thunders, there is a loud noise in the sky, usually after a flash of lightning

2. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to run or move along quickly, in a way that makes a very loud noise:
The children came thundering downstairs.
Huge lorries thundered past us.

3. [intransitive] to make a very loud deep noise:
Guns roared and thundered all around us.

4. [transitive] to shout loudly and angrily:
‘You must be mad!’ he thundered.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

thunder
noun
ADJ. loud The thunder was getting louder and louder.
dull The gunfire rumbled like dull thunder.
distant the rumble of distant thunder
approaching
QUANT. clap, crash, peal, roll, rumble
THUNDER + VERB boom, break, burst, crash, explode, roar Thunder boomed in the sky overhead.
growl, grumble, roll, rumble | rattle sth, shake sth The windows were shaken by a tremendous crash of thunder.
THUNDER + NOUN clap (also thunderclap) | cloud (also thundercloud)
PHRASES the sound of thunder, there's thunder in the air (= thunder is likely), thunder and lightning

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

thunder

a rumble/roll of thunder (=one of a series of deep sounds)
We could hear the rumble of thunder growing louder.
a clap/crash/crack of thunder (=one extremely loud sound)
Lightning flickered across the sky, followed seconds later by a loud crack of thunder.
a peal of thunder (=one very loud sound)
She jumped as a huge peal of thunder crashed directly overhead.
thunder and lightning
Rain fell steadily for an hour, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
thunder crashes/booms
Thunder crashed overhead, waking the baby.
thunder rumbles/rolls
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
distant thunder
Apart from the occasional rumble of distant thunder, there was silence.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

thunder
noun
BAD: I heard a terribly loud noise, like a thunder.
GOOD: I heard a terribly loud noise, like thunder.
BAD: We waited for the thunders and lightning to stop.
GOOD: We waited for the thunder and lightning to stop.

Usage Note:
Thunder is an uncountable noun: 'When Mr Cameron got angry, his voice was as loud as thunder.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

thunder
ˈθʌndə
See: blood and thunder , steal one's thunder

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲