🇬🇧 Palpitation meaning: English Vocabulary Flash Card

A palpitation is when you suddenly feel your heart beating very fast, very hard, or in a strange, jumpy way inside your chest. It can feel like your heart is doing flips, pounding like a drum, or skipping a beat. This can happen when you are scared, excited, running around, or sometimes for no clear reason at all.

I felt palpitations when the teacher handed back tests and mine had so much red ink it looked like modern art.

I get palpitations every time Dad says, “I’ll cook dinner tonight.”

When the roller coaster dropped, my palpitations screamed louder than I did.

I get palpitations every time the teacher says, “Pop quiz!”

Palpitations often happen when you’re scared or excited—so if your heart goes Boom-Boom-Boom when you see a giant test or a giant pizza, that wild thumping feeling is a palpitation.

At the street corner she felt a palpitation, then another palpitation as the bus lights flicked. Each palpitation knocked her breath away; she pressed her hand to her chest. A quick breath fought the next palpitation. When the bus door opened she smiled, relief washing through her as the last palpitation eased.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.