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Meaning & use

painful throb

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈpeɪnfəl θrɒb/
US/ˈpeɪnfəl θrɑːb/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    A strong, regular beat of pain that repeats again and again.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a painful throb' or 'painful throbs'. Often used with 'feel' or 'have'.

    Patterns

    • feel a painful throb
    • a painful throb in something

    I felt a painful throb in my knee after the run.

    The dentist's drill caused a painful throb in my jaw.

    She had a painful throb in her finger where the needle went in.

Word forms

pluralpainful throbs

Common combinations

feel a painful throb
He felt a painful throb in his chest and sat down.
a painful throb in your head
A painful throb in your head can be a sign of a migraine.
a painful throb in the tooth
A painful throb in the tooth kept her awake all night.

Synonyms and how they differ

throb
This is the noun on its own; it can be painful or not, but usually suggests a strong beat.
ache
An ache is a continuous dull pain, not a repeating beat like a throb.
sting
A sting is a sharp, sudden pain, not a regular pulsing one.

Word family

throb verb
To beat strongly and regularly, often with pain.
throbbing adjective
Beating strongly and regularly, often painfully.

Commonly confused: painful throb or throb?

painful throb vs throb

As a verb, 'throb' describes the action: 'My head is throbbing.' As a noun, it is the beat itself: 'I feel a throb.'

Practice

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