Present participle of pound; hitting repeatedly with force, or the action of striking heavily and repeatedly.
From Old English pūnian 'to beat, crush', related to the noun 'pound' (weight unit). The verb developed from the action of using a pestle or hammer to crush substances, extending to any repetitive forceful striking.
The rhythmic nature of pounding appears everywhere from heartbeats to music to industrial processes - humans seem naturally attuned to repetitive percussion as both a working method and a source of emotional expression. The phrase 'pounding headache' uses this rhythm metaphor to describe pain intensity.
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