peals of thunder

Meaning

1. 1phrasefixed phraseliterary

   Loud bursts of thunder that roll and echo, often heard during a storm.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a peal of thunder' for one burst, or 'peals of thunder' for several.

   Patterns

   • a peal of thunder
   • peals of thunder
   • peals of thunder rolled (across/across the sky)

   We sat by the window and listened to peals of thunder rolling across the valley.

   Peals of thunder woke the children in the middle of the night.

   After a flash of lightning, peals of thunder shook the old house.

Common combinations

a peal of thunder

A sudden peal of thunder made everyone jump.

peals of thunder rolled

Peals of thunder rolled over the hills for hours.

peals of thunder echoed

Peals of thunder echoed through the empty streets.

distant peals of thunder

Distant peals of thunder warned us that the storm was coming closer.

loud peals of thunder

Loud peals of thunder continued long after the rain had stopped.

Synonyms and how they differ

rumble of thunder

A rumble is a low, continuous sound; a peal is louder, sharper, and often rolls or echoes.

clap of thunder

A clap is a single sudden loud noise, while a peal suggests a longer, echoing burst.

thunder

Thunder is the general word for the noise; 'peals of thunder' describes repeated loud bursts in a literary way.

Word family

peal noun

A loud ringing sound, especially of bells, or a burst of thunder.

peal verb

To ring loudly or make a loud echoing sound.

Commonly confused: peals of thunder or peel?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “peals of thunder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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