From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthrobthrob1 /θrɒb $ θrɑːb/ verb (throbbed, throbbing) [intransitive] 1 HURT/CAUSE PAINif a part of your body throbs, you have a feeling of pain in it that regularly starts and stops The back of my neck throbbed painfully.throb with Her foot was throbbing with pain. I woke up with a throbbing headache.► see thesaurus at hurt2 APMSOUNDif music or a machine throbs, it makes a low sound or vibration with a strong regular beat a throbbing bass line3 HBHEMOTIONALif your heart throbs, it beats faster or more strongly than usual4 if a place throbs with life, energy etc, it has a lot of life etc The river is throbbing with life.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
throb• That night in bed, her hip throbbed.• By late afternoon my head was throbbing, and I couldn't see straight.• He limped heavily, nursing his throbbing ankle.• Every morning I wake up with a throbbing headache.• For ever, for ever, for ever: the reverberation throbbed in his bones.• I felt a throbbing pain in my left shin, and pulled up my trouser leg to see what was causing it.• throbbing samba musicthrobbing headache• As I write this, I have a throbbing headache.• He had a throbbing headache building, centred behind his nose and eyes.• Sunstroke fever, throbbing headache, red face, stupor.throbthrob2 (also throbbing) /ˈθrɒbɪŋ $ ˈθrɑː-/ noun [countable] SOUNDa low strong regular beat or sensationthrob of the throb of the engines a steady throb of pain → heartthrobExamples from the Corpus
throb• The engine of the big mechanical monster was ticking over with the deep throb of impatient, reined-in horsepower.• Detectable above the hubbub was the relentless throb of Christmas carols.• She allowed herself the luxury of screaming, and yelped as each stroke ignited a searing throb in her outraged fundament.• Now I could hear the throb of impatience in his voice as he waited for the curtain to go up.• He listened to the throb of the ship's generators, a noise he associated with every ship he had travelled on.• the throb of her beating heart• I'd get this throb all over my body.Origin throb1 (1300-1400) Probably from the sound 