percussive
adjective
per·cus·sive
pər-ˈkə-siv 
1
: of or relating to percussion
especially
: operative or operated by striking
2
: having powerful impact
percussively
adverb
percussiveness
noun
Examples of percussive in a Sentence
The song had a punchy, percussive rhythm.
Recent Examples on the Web
Typically performed on acoustic guitar with percussive accompaniment, Garifuna songs combine West African rhythms with Latin, reggae, and calypso music.
—
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2025
Thunderclaps shiver through Ramaswamy’s hands as percussive tabla dodges in and out of the score.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
Both also share a mid-aughts sentimentality and a percussive synth line that pitter-patters throughout.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Gradually, the music mutates into something more alien: off-key chiming of a clock, percussive piano clanking and plucking, atonal saxophone solos that sound as if an instrument is being dropped.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for percussive
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Walden Green, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2025
Thunderclaps shiver through Ramaswamy’s hands as percussive tabla dodges in and out of the score.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2025
Both also share a mid-aughts sentimentality and a percussive synth line that pitter-patters throughout.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Gradually, the music mutates into something more alien: off-key chiming of a clock, percussive piano clanking and plucking, atonal saxophone solos that sound as if an instrument is being dropped.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for percussive
Cite this Entry
“Percussive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percussive. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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