thud

American  

[thuhd] / θʌd /

noun

1. a dull sound, as of a heavy blow or fall.

2. a blow causing such a sound.

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verb (used without object)

thudded, thudding

1. to strike or fall with a dull sound of heavy impact.

thud British  

/ θʌd /

noun

1. a dull heavy sound

   the book fell to the ground with a thud

2. a blow or fall that causes such a sound

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verb

1. to make or cause to make such a sound

Other Word Forms

• thuddingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of thud

1505–15; imitative; compare Middle English thudden, Old English thyddan to strike, press

Explanation

To thud is to make the loud sound of something heavy hitting or falling. Tip your chair too far back and your body may thud against the floor. Throw an egg off a balcony onto the pavement below, and it will splat, but throw a heavy dumbbell off the same balcony and it will thud — you can call the sound it makes a thud as well. The verb originally meant "to strike, stab, or thrust," from the Old English imitative word þyddan, and the noun was used to mean "blast of wind" in the early sixteenth century.

Example Sentences

She never even got to clunk and thud her way through any farmhouses or laboratories like a bewigged bull in a china shop.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Two giants stare each other down before colliding with a dull thud.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

No iPhone glows disturbed the darkness, just snores and the thud of wheels, the occasional whoosh of a passing train tilting us to one side.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

For Liverpool, this was a return to earth with a resounding thud after their recent upturn.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

It hits the bottom of the hole with an audible thud.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• bang
• thump