Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
verbexpand and contract rhythmically; beat rhythmically
verbproduce or modulate (as electromagnetic waves) in the form of short bursts or pulses or cause an apparatus to produce pulses
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpellō“to strike”
- New Latinpulsō, pulsātum“(of an organ) to pulse, to emit a pulse”
- Englishpulsate
Perhaps formed within English as a back-formation from pulsation (attested from the early 15th century, in Middle English). A figurative derivation from New Latin pulsō, pulsātum (“(of an organ) to pulse, to emit a pulse”, intransitive) is also possible, itself a back-formation of New Latin pulsātiō (“pulsation”, 14th century), or derived from classical Latin pulsō (“to strike repeatedly”, transitive) with semantic influence from classical pulsus (“a pulse”). Ultimately from Latin pellō (“to strike”). By surface analysis, pulse + -ate (verb-forming suffix). Doublet of push.
More words from New Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek σφύζω, σκαρίζω
- σφύζω (sphúzō)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- σκαρίζω (skarízō)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Bulgarian пулсирам, туптя
- пулсирам (pulsiram)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- туптя (tuptja)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- вибрирам (vibriram)to quiver, vibrate, thrill
Chinese Cantonese 脈動 /脉动, （有規律地）跳動 /（有规律地）跳动
- 脈動 /脉动 (mak⁶ dong⁶)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- （有規律地）跳動 /（有规律地）跳动 (tiu³ dong⁶)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Czech pulzovat, pulzovat
- pulzovatto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- pulzovatto quiver, vibrate, thrill
- oscilovatto produce a recurring increase and decrease
Finnish sykkiä, väristä
- sykkiäto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- väristäto quiver, vibrate, thrill
- sykkiäto produce a recurring increase and decrease
German pulsieren, pulsieren
- pulsierento expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- pulsierento quiver, vibrate, thrill
- pulsierento produce a recurring increase and decrease
Irish frithbhuail
- frithbhuailto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Italian pulsare
- pulsareto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Polish pulsować, tętnić
- pulsowaćto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- tętnićto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Portuguese pulsar
- pulsarto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Romanian pulsa
- pulsato expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Russian пульси́ровать, би́ться
- пульси́ровать (pulʹsírovatʹ)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- би́ться (bítʹsja)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- вибри́ровать (vibrírovatʹ)to quiver, vibrate, thrill
- дрожа́ть (drožátʹ)to quiver, vibrate, thrill
Scottish Gaelic plosg
- plosgto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Spanish latir
- latirto expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Swedish pulsera
- pulserato expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
Ukrainian пульсува́ти, пульсува́ти
- пульсува́ти (pulʹsuváty)to expand and contract rhythmically; to throb or to beat
- пульсува́ти (pulʹsuváty)to produce a recurring increase and decrease
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with pulsate
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
pulsate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pulsate
“pulsate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pulsate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pulsate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pulsate.
Source: pulsate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.