Her heart raced like a runaway train.

Meaning: This means the child's heart was beating very fast and she felt very anxious or excited.

Choice of Words: Raced means to move or travel very quickly. Runaway means out of control or no longer under the care or control of its owner. Train is a series of connected vehicles that runs on rails. Heart is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. When you put them together, it's like saying her heart was beating very fast and uncontrollably, like a train that is out of control.

Alternative Expressions

Her heart thumped like a drum.

Meaning: This means that the person's heart was beating very fast and loudly, like a drum that is being played. It's like saying, Her heart was beating so fast and loudly, it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.

Choice of Words: Her refers to the person whose heart is thumping. Heart is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Thumped means to beat or pound. Like is used to compare the heart's beating to something else. A drum is a musical instrument that is played by hitting it with a stick.

Her heart pounded like a jackhammer.

Meaning: This means that the person's heart was beating very fast and powerfully, like a jackhammer that is breaking up concrete. It's like saying, Her heart was beating so fast and powerfully, it felt like it was going to break out of her chest.

Choice of Words: Her refers to the person whose heart is pounding. Heart is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. Pounded means to beat or strike with a lot of force. Like is used to compare the heart's beating to something else. A jackhammer is a tool that is used to break up concrete.

Related Expressions