pit-a-pat

noun
UK: /ˌpɪt.ə.pæt/
US: /ˌpɪt.ə.pæt/

  1. A light, rapid tapping sound, like footsteps or a heartbeat.

    1. I heard the pit-a-pat of little feet running down the hall.
    2. The pit-a-pat of rain on the roof lulled me to sleep during the thunderstorm.

Synonyms

pitter-patter tap throb flutter
pit-a-pat intransitive-verb

  1. To make a sound like a light, rapid tapping.

    1. My heart pit-a-patted when I saw her.
    2. Raindrops pit-a-patted against the window pane, creating a soothing melody.
pit-a-pat adjective

  1. Describes a sound that is light and rapidly repeated, like a gentle tapping.

    1. I could hear the pit-a-pat sound of the kitten's paws on the floor.
    2. The pit-a-pat rhythm of the music box created a nostalgic and comforting atmosphere.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "pit-a-pat" is /ˌpɪt.ə.pæt/ in British English and /ˌpɪt.ə.pæt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "pit-a-pat": pitter-patter, tap, throb, flutter.

Example usage of "pit-a-pat": "I heard the pit-a-pat of little feet running down the hall.". More examples on the page.