percussive

adjective

per·​cus·​sive pər-ˈkə-siv How to pronounce percussive (audio)
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
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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 The song’s strange percussive structure has a sort of progressive, almost foreboding quality to it that really leans into the lyrics of the song. Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025 Wong’s guitar materializes and melts away amid blipping, clanking, percussive electronics, bubbling with rhythm while keeping any final destination elusive. Jon Pareles, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 These include the abilities to collect plants from varying distances and from a wide range of habitats, as well as to mechanically process them using percussive tools. Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for percussive

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of percussive was in 1598

Cite this Entry

“Percussive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percussive. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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