Sound vs. Thump — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 4, 2024
Sound is a broad term for auditory experiences created by vibrations, whereas a thump is a specific type of sound characterized by a dull, heavy noise.
Difference Between Sound and Thump
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Sound encompasses all auditory sensations produced by vibrations traveling through a medium like air or water. In contrast, a thump specifically refers to a sound that is heavy and dull, often resulting from an object striking another surface with considerable force.
While sound can vary widely in pitch, volume, and duration, a thump is generally short-lived and low-pitched. This distinction makes thumps easily recognizable amidst other sounds.
Sound is crucial in various applications, ranging from communication and entertainment to safety and navigation. On the other hand, thumps are often indicative of physical impacts and can be significant in contexts like construction or when assessing equipment operation.
In terms of perception, sounds can be melodious or jarring, shaping environments and experiences. Whereas thumps, by their nature, are more likely to be associated with physical actions and are less varied in their auditory characteristics.
Sound serves as a fundamental element in sciences such as acoustics, physics, and even psychology, exploring how sound is produced, transmitted, and perceived. Thumps, however, are typically studied in more specific scenarios, such as in building mechanics or in the study of sound effects in media.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Vibrations that travel through a medium and can be heard when they reach a person’s or animal’s ear.
A heavy, dull sound made by an impact of an object with another.
Pitch Variation
Can vary from high to low
Usually low
Duration
Can be sustained or brief
Typically brief
Application
Music, communication, alarms, etc.
Indicative of impacts, used in sound effects for media
Perceptual Quality
Can be melodious or harsh
Usually perceived as harsh or heavy
Compare with Definitions
Sound
Vibration perceivable by the ears.
The sound of the rain was soothing.
Thump
To beat or strike heavily.
She thumped the dough with her fists.
Sound
An area of water between two bodies of land.
The Puget Sound is known for its stunning views.
Thump
A heavy blow.
He felt a thump on his back as the ball hit him.
Sound
Audible part of a transmitted signal.
They adjusted the sound on the speaker to be clearer.
Thump
A heavy dull sound caused by an impact.
The thump upstairs made her jump.
Sound
A particular auditory impression.
The sound from the next room alerted them to the intruder.
Thump
A strong heartbeat.
Her heart gave a loud thump as she heard the news.
Sound
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the reception of such waves and their perception by the brain.
Thump
To hit or fall with a heavy sound.
He thumped the table in frustration.
Sound
Vibrations transmitted through an elastic solid or a liquid or gas, with frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing.
Thump
A blow, as with a blunt object.
Sound
Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.
Thump
A muffled sound, as that produced by beating with a blunt object; a thud.
Sound
The sensation stimulated in the organs of hearing by such vibrations in the air or other medium.
Thump
To beat so as to produce a thump or thumps
Thumped the desk with her fist.
Sound
Such sensations considered as a group.
Thump
To move or cause to strike with a thump or thumps
Thumped the book on the table.
Sound
A distinctive noise
A hollow sound.
Thump
(Informal) To defeat soundly; drub.
Sound
The distance over which something can be heard
Within sound of my voice.
Thump
To hit or fall in such a way as to produce a thump or thumps
The book thumped on the floor.
Sound
An articulation made by the vocal apparatus
A vowel sound.
Thump
To move or collide with a thump or thumps
I thumped up the stairs.
Sound
The distinctive character of such an articulation
The words bear and bare have the same sound.
Thump
To beat or throb audibly
His heart thumped with fear.
Sound
A mental impression; an implication
Didn't like the sound of the invitation.
Thump
A blow that produces a muffled sound.
Sound
Auditory material that is recorded, as for a movie.
Thump
The sound of such a blow; a thud.
Sound
Meaningless noise.
Thump
Used to replace the vulgar or blasphemous element in "what the hell" and similar phrases.
Where the thump have you been?!
Sound
(Music) A distinctive style, as of an orchestra or singer.
Thump
(transitive) To hit (someone or something) as if to make a thump.
Sound
(Archaic) Rumor; report.
Thump
(transitive) To cause to make a thumping sound.
The cat thumped its tail in irritation.
Sound
A long, relatively wide body of water, larger than a strait or a channel, connecting larger bodies of water.
Thump
(intransitive) To thud or pound.
Sound
A long, wide ocean inlet.
Thump
(intransitive) To throb with a muffled rhythmic sound.
Dance music thumped from the nightclub entrance.
Sound
(Archaic) The swim bladder of a fish.
Thump
The sound made by the sudden fall or blow of a heavy body, as of a hammer, or the like.
The distant forge's swinging thump profound.
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,They dropped down, one by one.
Sound
An instrument used to examine or explore body cavities, as for foreign bodies or other abnormalities, or to dilate strictures in them.
Thump
A blow or knock, as with something blunt or heavy; a heavy fall.
The watchman gave so great a thump at my door, that I awaked at the knock.
Sound
To make or give forth a sound
The siren sounded.
Thump
To strike or beat with something thick or heavy, or so as to cause a dull sound.
These bastard Bretons; whom our hathersHave in their own land beaten, bobbed, and thumped.
Sound
To be given forth as a sound
The fanfare sounded.
Thump
To give a thump or thumps; to strike or fall with a heavy blow; to pound.
A watchman at midnight thumps with his pole.
Sound
To present a particular impression
That argument sounds reasonable.
Thump
A heavy dull sound (as made by impact of heavy objects)
Sound
To cause to give forth or produce a sound
Sounded the gong.
Thump
A heavy blow with the hand
Sound
To summon, announce, or signal by a sound
Sound a warning.
Thump
Move rhythmically;
Her heart was beating fast
Sound
(Linguistics) To articulate; pronounce
Sound a vowel.
Thump
Make a dull sound;
The knocker thudded against the front door
Sound
To make known; celebrate
"Nations unborn your mighty names shall sound" (Alexander Pope).
Thump
Hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument;
The salesman pounded the door knocker
A bible-thumping Southern Baptist
Sound
To examine (a body organ or part) by causing to emit sound; auscultate.
Sound
To measure the depth of (water), especially by means of a weighted line; fathom.
Sound
To try to learn the attitudes or opinions of
Sounded out her feelings.
Sound
To probe (a body cavity) with a sound.
Sound
To measure depth.
Sound
To dive swiftly downward. Used of a marine mammal or a fish.
Sound
To look into a possibility; investigate.
Sound
Free from defect, decay, or damage; in good condition
Is the bridge sound?.
Sound
Free from disease or injury.
Sound
Marked by or showing common sense and good judgment; levelheaded
A sound approach to the problem.
Sound
Based on valid reasoning; having no logical flaws
A sound conclusion.
Sound reasoning.
Sound
(Logic) Of or relating to an argument in which all the premises are true and the conclusion follows from the premises.
Sound
Secure or stable
A partnership that started on a sound footing.
Sound
Financially secure or safe
A sound economy.
Sound
Thorough; complete
Gave their rivals a sound thrashing.
Sound
Deep and unbroken; undisturbed
A sound sleep.
Sound
Compatible with an accepted point of view; orthodox
Sound doctrine.
Sound
Thoroughly; deeply
Sound asleep.
Sound
Healthy.
He was safe and sound.
In horse management a sound horse is one with no health problems that might affect its suitability for its intended work.
Sound
Complete, solid, or secure.
Fred assured me the floorboards were sound.
Sound
Having the property of soundness.
Sound
Good; acceptable; decent.
How are you? —I'm sound.
That's a sound track you're playing.
See that man over there? He's sound. You should get to know him.
Sound
(of sleep) Quiet and deep.
Sound asleep means sleeping peacefully, and often deeply.
Her sleep was sound.
Sound
Heavy; laid on with force.
A sound beating
Sound
Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective.
A sound title to land
Sound
Soundly.
Sound
Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm.
I found my jacket. — Sound.
Sound
A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.
He turned when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
Nobody made a sound.
Sound
A vibration capable of causing such sensations.
Sound
(music) A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra, &.
Sound
Noise without meaning; empty noise.
Sound
, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.
Stay within the sound of my voice.
Sound
(phonetics) A segment as a part of spoken language, the smallest unit of spoken language, a speech sound.
Sound
A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean.
Puget Sound; Owen Sound; Long Island Sound
Sound
The air bladder of a fish.
Cod sounds are an esteemed article of food.
Sound
A long, thin probe for sounding or dilating body cavities or canals such as the urethra; a sonde.
Sound
(intransitive) To produce a sound.
When the horn sounds, take cover.
Sound
(copulative) To convey an impression by one's sound.
He sounded good when we last spoke.
That story sounds like a pack of lies!
Sound
(intransitive) To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.
Sound
To resound.
Sound
To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law, or as likely to result in a particular kind of legal remedy.
In my opinion this claim sounds in damages rather than in an injunction.
Sound
(transitive) To cause to produce a sound.
Sound the alarm!
He sounds the instrument.
Sound
To pronounce.
The "e" in "house" isn't sounded.
Sound
(intransitive) Dive downwards, used of a whale.
The whale sounded and eight hundred feet of heavy line streaked out of the line tub before he ended his dive.
Sound
To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.
When I sounded him, he appeared to favor the proposed deal.
Sound
Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.
Mariners on sailing ships would sound the depth of the water with a weighted rope.
Sound
(medicine) To examine with the instrument called a sound or sonde, or by auscultation or percussion.
To sound a patient, or the bladder or urethra
Sound
The air bladder of a fish; as, cod sounds are an esteemed article of food.
Sound
A cuttlefish.
Sound
A narrow passage of water, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean; as, the Sound between the Baltic and the german Ocean; Long Island Sound.
The Sound of Denmark, where ships pay toll.
Sound
Any elongated instrument or probe, usually metallic, by which cavities of the body are sounded or explored, especially the bladder for stone, or the urethra for a stricture.
Sound
The peceived object occasioned by the impulse or vibration of a material substance affecting the ear; a sensation or perception of the mind received through the ear, and produced by the impulse or vibration of the air or other medium with which the ear is in contact; the effect of an impression made on the organs of hearing by an impulse or vibration of the air caused by a collision of bodies, or by other means; noise; report; as, the sound of a drum; the sound of the human voice; a horrid sound; a charming sound; a sharp, high, or shrill sound.
The warlike soundOf trumpets loud and clarions.
Sound
The occasion of sound; the impulse or vibration which would occasion sound to a percipient if present with unimpaired; hence, the theory of vibrations in elastic media such cause sound; as, a treatise on sound.
Sound
Noise without signification; empty noise; noise and nothing else.
Sense and not sound . . . must be the principle.
Sound
Whole; unbroken; unharmed; free from flaw, defect, or decay; perfect of the kind; as, sound timber; sound fruit; a sound tooth; a sound ship.
Sound
Healthy; not diseased; not being in a morbid state; - said of body or mind; as, a sound body; a sound constitution; a sound understanding.
Sound
Firm; strong; safe.
The brasswork here, how rich it is in beams,And how, besides, it makes the whole house sound.
Sound
Free from error; correct; right; honest; true; faithful; orthodox; - said of persons; as, a sound lawyer; a sound thinker.
Do not I know you a favorerOf this new seat? Ye are nor sound.
Sound
Founded in truth or right; supported by justice; not to be overthrown on refuted; not fallacious; as, sound argument or reasoning; a sound objection; sound doctrine; sound principles.
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me.
Sound
Heavy; laid on with force; as, a sound beating.
Sound
Undisturbed; deep; profound; as, sound sleep.
Sound
Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective; as, a sound title to land.
Sound
Soundly.
So sound he slept that naught might him awake.
Sound
To measure the depth of; to fathom; especially, to ascertain the depth of by means of a line and plummet.
Sound
To explore, as the bladder or urethra, with a sound; to examine with a sound; also, to examine by auscultation or percussion; as, to sound a patient.
Sound
To ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.
I sound as a shipman soundeth in the sea with his plummet to know the depth of sea.
Sound
To make a noise; to utter a voice; to make an impulse of the air that shall strike the organs of hearing with a perceptible effect.
How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues!
Sound
To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.
From you sounded out the word of the Lord.
Sound
To make or convey a certain impression, or to have a certain import, when heard; hence, to seem; to appear; as, this reproof sounds harsh; the story sounds like an invention.
Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fearThings that do sound so fair?
Soun[d]ing in moral virtue was his speech.
Sound
To cause to make a noise; to play on; as, to sound a trumpet or a horn; to sound an alarm.
A bagpipe well could he play and soun[d].
Sound
To cause to exit as a sound; as, to sound a note with the voice, or on an instrument.
Sound
To order, direct, indicate, or proclain by a sound, or sounds; to give a signal for by a certain sound; as, to sound a retreat; to sound a parley.
The clock sounded the hour of noon.
Sound
To celebrate or honor by sounds; to cause to be reported; to publish or proclaim; as, to sound the praises of fame of a great man or a great exploit.
Sound
To examine the condition of (anything) by causing the same to emit sounds and noting their character; as, to sound a piece of timber; to sound a vase; to sound the lungs of a patient.
Sound
To signify; to import; to denote.
Soun[d]ing alway the increase of his winning.
Sound
The particular auditory effect produced by a given cause;
The sound of rain on the roof
The beautiful sound of music
Sound
The subjective sensation of hearing something;
He strained to hear the faint sounds
Sound
Mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium;
Falling trees make a sound in the forest even when no one is there to hear them
Sound
The sudden occurrence of an audible event;
The sound awakened them
Sound
The audible part of a transmitted signal;
They always raise the audio for commercials
Sound
(phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language
Sound
A narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water
Sound
A large ocean inlet or deep bay;
The main body of the sound ran parallel to the coast
Sound
Appear in a certain way;
This sounds interesting
Sound
Make a certain noise or sound;
She went `Mmmmm'
The gun went `bang'
Sound
Give off a certain sound or sounds;
This record sounds scratchy
Sound
Announce by means of a sound;
Sound the alarm
Sound
Utter with vibrating vocal chords
Sound
Cause to sound;
Sound the bell
Sound a certain note
Sound
Measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line
Sound
Financially secure and safe;
Sound investments
A sound economy
Sound
Exercising or showing good judgment;
Healthy scepticism
A healthy fear of rattlesnakes
The healthy attitude of French laws
Healthy relations between labor and management
An intelligent solution
A sound approach to the problem
Sound advice
No sound explanation for his decision
Sound
In good condition; free from defect or damage or decay;
A sound timber
The wall is sound
A sound foundation
Sound
In excellent physical condition;
Good teeth
I still have one good leg
A sound mind in a sound body
Sound
Reflects weight of sound argument or evidence;
A sound argument
Sound
Having legal efficacy or force;
A sound title to the property
Sound
Free from moral defect;
A man of sound character
Sound
(of sleep) deep and complete;
A heavy sleep
Fell into a profound sleep
A sound sleeper
Deep wakeless sleep
Sound
Thorough;
A sound thrashing
Sound
Deeply or completely;
Slept soundly through the storm
Is sound asleep
Common Curiosities
Are all thumps of the same intensity?
Not necessarily; the intensity of a thump can vary depending on the force of the impact and the materials involved.
What is sound?
Sound is any auditory experience created by vibrations that travel through a medium such as air or water and are perceived by the ear.
How do sounds differ in pitch?
Sounds can range from high to low pitch, depending on the frequency of the vibrations that produce them.
Can sound be used to measure depth?
Yes, sound waves are used in techniques like sonar to measure the depth of water bodies.
What is an example of a naturally occurring thump?
An example would be the sound of a coconut falling from a tree onto the ground.
Is a thump always associated with negative events?
Not always, but thumps are often related to impacts or collisions that might suggest mishaps.
What role does sound play in communication?
Sound is essential in communication, enabling spoken language and various auditory signals that convey information.
What does a thump sound like?
A thump sounds like a heavy, dull noise typically resulting from an object making a forceful impact with another surface.
How is a thump used in media?
In media, thumps are often used to enhance the realism of scenes involving impacts, such as in action movies.
How do sound waves travel?
Sound waves travel through the oscillation of particles in air.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Amazing vs. FantasticNext Comparison
Stepmother vs. StepsonAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham LiaqatCo-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.