[f. THUMP v. + -ING2.]
1. That thumps, in various senses; beating; banging; throbbing.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xxvii. (1887), 107. The tumbling Cybistike, the thumping Pugillate, the buffeting Cestus.
a. 1597. Peele, David & Bethsabe, III. ii. To scape the fury of their thumping beaks.
1859. Habits Gd. Soc., vi. 234. The loud, thumping style [of playing the piano] should be avoided.
1898. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 916. In slim, long-chested youths … a thumping or uncovered heart may well be mistaken for a hypertrophy.
2. fig. (colloq.) Of striking size, extent, or amount; exceptionally large or heavy; huge, ‘whacking,’ ‘whopping’: cf. BOUNCING ppl. a.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 402. He vseth great and thumping words.
1671. H. Foulis, Hist. Rom. Treasons (1681), 26. The thumping commendations of their Saints.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, II. 48. Strong Wine, and thumping Glasses.
a. 1814. He must be Married, III. i. in New Brit. Theatre, IV. 268. A house-full of great, thumping, rosy-cheeked, boys and girls.
1826. W. E. Andrews, Crit. Rev. Fox’s Bk. Mart., II. 270. This is a thumping lie.
1855. Thackeray, Newcomes, lv. Let us console that martyr … with thumping damages.
1865. Sir S. Northcote, in Daily News, 29 May, 3. Producing sensational effects by the utterance of what I may call good, stout, thumping lies.
1902. C. G. Harper, Holyhead Road, II. 94. The electors returned both himself and the other Conservative candidate by thumping majorities.
Hence Thumpingly adv.
a. 1693. Urquhart’s Rabelais, III. ix. 77. If I did not … thumpingly bethwack her Gillets.
1773. Rind’s Virginia Gaz., 20 May, 1/4. Like poor Hob, he was forcibly seized, and, notwithstanding his bellowing, was pretty thumpingly bumped, to the no small diversion of his fellow servants.
1863. Sacramento Bee, 5 May, 1/2. My heart beat so thumpingly that I could hardly sit still; for I knew that she would be seen as soon as the curtain rose.
1863. Boston Even. Transcript, 14 Jan., 11/4. The simplified charter reducing the number of councillors to be voted for has been thumpingly vindicated.
