pulse

The regular movement of blood that you can feel at your wrist or neck as your heart beats.

• The nurse checked my pulse.
• I could feel a faint pulse at his wrist.
• She pressed two fingers against her neck to find her pulse.

Similar words: heartbeat

Common phrases: check someone's pulse, feel someone's pulse, weak pulse, strong pulse

The number of times your heart beats in a minute, used to check your health.

• My pulse is seventy beats a minute.
• Exercise made her pulse rise quickly.
• The doctor measured his resting pulse before the test.

Similar words: heart rate, pulse rate

Common phrases: pulse rate, resting pulse, rapid pulse, take someone's pulse

One beat or a series of repeated beats or movements.

• I felt a single pulse beneath my fingers.
• Each pulse sent a little more blood through the tube.
• The machine made a series of slow pulses.

Similar words: beat, throb

Common phrases: a steady pulse, each pulse, rhythmic pulse

The steady beat in music that you can follow by tapping or moving.

• Tap your foot to the pulse.
• The drums give the song a steady pulse.
• The dancers moved together, following the pulse of the music.

Similar words: beat, rhythm

Common phrases: steady pulse, musical pulse, pulse of music

The energy and activity of a place, group, or event that make it feel alive.

• You can feel the city's pulse here.
• The festival captures the pulse of local life.
• Busy markets and street musicians give this district its lively pulse.

How to use it: the pulse of something (The market is a good place to feel the pulse of the city.)

Similar words: heartbeat, vitality, energy

Common phrases: pulse of something, city's pulse, urban pulse

A feeling of being alive or of strong emotion.

• A pulse of joy ran through her.
• He felt the pulse of life return after months of sadness.
• The memory brought a sudden pulse of emotion.

How to use it: a pulse of something (She felt a pulse of hope when she heard his voice.)

Similar words: surge, thrill

Common phrases: pulse of life, pulse of excitement, pulse of emotion

To beat or move with a regular, repeated rhythm.

• The lights pulsed slowly.
• Pain pulsed behind her eyes.
• The bass pulsed through the floor beneath our feet.

How to use it: pulse through something (Music pulsed through the walls.); pulse with something (The room pulsed with music.)

Similar words: beat, throb, pulsate

Common phrases: pulse steadily, pulse with something, pulse through something, pulse rhythmically