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Literary notes about thunderous (AI summary)

The word "thunderous" is wielded in literature as a dynamic tool to evoke immense power and overwhelming energy, whether through nature or human expression. Writers use it to create vivid auditory images—describing everything from the roaring surf crashing against rocky shores ([1], [2], [3]) and the tumult of cannonade or blasting machinery ([4], [5], [6]) to the mighty voice of a character whose sound commands attention ([7], [8], [9]). It also appears in instances where contrast and irony intensify the moment, as in the "thunderous whisper" that conveys quiet intensity despite its paradoxical description ([10]). In all these contexts, the adjective not only amplifies the sensory impact but also enriches the emotional tone of the scene, leaving an indelible impression on the reader.
  1. And thou, mighty ocean, beating on the shore, Bid thy angry billows stay their thunderous roar!
    — from Poems by Julia C. R. (Caroline Ripley) Dorr
  2. Mighty foam-crested waves were rolling in upon the rocky point below, breaking with a continuous thunderous roar.
    — from The Wilderness Castaways by Dillon Wallace
  3. Save for this the thunderous noise of the sea served to drown all sounds on the land.
    — from The Woman Thou Gavest Me; Being the Story of Mary O'Neill by Caine, Hall, Sir
  4. Dawson's voice at that moment: the powerful, thunderous roar of the B-Twenty-Five's twin Wright Cyclones coming to life.
    — from Dave Dawson on the Russian Front by Robert Sidney Bowen
  5. Suddenly the sound of the cannonade was deadened by a thunderous roar.
    — from The Naval History of the United States. Volume 1 by Willis J. (Willis John) Abbot
  6. "Throw the stuff over, I say!" cried Venner hoarsely, and gave the chest a push that sent it into the rippling sea with a thunderous splash.
    — from The Pirate Woman by Aylward Edward Dingle
  7. It was like the thunderous scoffing of the Lord God of the Hebrews.
    — from Murder Point: A Tale of Keewatin by Coningsby Dawson
  8. The lion is dead; his thunderous voice is for ever hushed.
    — from The Catholic World, Vol. 23, April, 1876-September, 1876. A Monthly Magazine of General Literature and Science by Various
  9. Waterman was big and burly, with a thunderous voice; and when he addressed a jury he roared and shook his iron-gray
    — from Otherwise Phyllis by Meredith Nicholson
  10. “Hold your tongue, Maggie,” he said in a thunderous whisper.
    — from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton

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