Heart pounded, fear took hold.

Meaning: This means that his heart beat quickly because he felt scared.

Choice of Words: Heart is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Pounded means to beat rapidly or violently. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. Took hold means to gain control or possession of something.

Alternative Expressions

His heart raced, fear gripped him.

Meaning: This means that someone was feeling very scared and their heart was beating very fast because of it. It's like saying, He was so scared, his heart was racing and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

Choice of Words: His is a possessive pronoun that shows that something belongs to a particular person. Heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Raced means to move or run very quickly. Fear is a strong feeling of unease or apprehension about something that could happen. Gripped means to seize or hold something tightly. When you put them together, "His heart raced, fear gripped him" means that his heart was beating very quickly and he was feeling very scared.

His heart thumped, fear consumed him.

Meaning: This means that someone was feeling very scared and their heart was beating very fast because of it. It's like saying, He was so scared, his heart was pounding and he felt like he was going to pass out.

Choice of Words: His is a possessive pronoun that shows that something belongs to a particular person. Heart is a muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Thumped means to beat or pound heavily. Fear is a strong feeling of unease or apprehension about something that could happen. Consumed means to use up or destroy something completely. When you put them together, "His heart thumped, fear consumed him" means that his heart was beating very heavily and he was feeling very scared.

Related Expressions