strum

1 of 2

noun

ˈstrəm 

: an act, instance, or sound of strumming

strum

2 of 2

verb

strummed; strumming

transitive verb

1

a

: to brush the fingers over the strings of (a musical instrument) in playing

strum a guitar

also : thrum entry 1 sense 1

b

: to play (music) on a stringed instrument

strum a tune

2

: to cause to sound vibrantly

winds strummed the rigging

—H. A. Chippendale

intransitive verb

1

: to strum a stringed instrument

2

: to sound vibrantly

strummer noun

Examples of strum in a Sentence

Verb

He strummed a tune on the guitar.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When the track properly kicks in, the punchy bassline takes center stage in the mix while the higher drums, guitar strums, and vocals settle further in the background. —PCMAG, 26 Nov. 2024

Learning to play guitar through those tracks was an act of communion, every strum bringing him closer to his father John Lennon, who was killed in December 1980. —Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Verb

Learn to strum a new song each day of the coming year, from the Beatles and Fleetwood Mac to traditional folk music. —Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024

The Brothers Four Katharine Hepburn Cultural Art Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook The Brothers Four were part of the folk boom of the 1950s and ‘60s and are still harmonizing and strumming nearly 70 years after the group was founded. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1764, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

strum

verb

ˈstrəm

strummed; strumming

: to play a stringed instrument by brushing the strings with the fingers

strummer noun