thunder

/ˈθʌndə/noun

The deep rumbling or crashing noise that follows a lightning flash, produced when the heated air around the bolt expands suddenly.

Example sentences

“The dog hid under the bed at the first crack of thunder.”
“Thunder rumbled in the distance as dark clouds rolled in.”

Uncountable, and fixed in the pair 'thunder and lightning', always in that order. 'Steal someone's thunder' means to take their moment of glory.

Related words

lightningA sudden bright flash caused by a powerful electrical discharge inside a cloud, between clouds, or between a cloud and the ground.stormA spell of severe weather with heavy rain, snow, or hail, often accompanied by thunder and lightning.rainbowA curved band of many colours that appears in the sky when sunlight passes through drops of rain.weatherThe condition of the atmosphere in a place at a given moment, covering things like temperature, humidity, clouds, rain, and wind.sunshineThe light and warmth that come directly from the sun.islandA piece of land, smaller than a continent, that has water on every side.