hum 1 of 2

as in purr
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion we heard the hum of an outboard motor and a few minutes later the small craft came into sight

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hum

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to burst
to be copiously supplied one restaurant was humming with diners, while a neighboring eatery was practically empty

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2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hum
Verb
Williams Arena was humming on Saturday afternoon, and the Gophers men’s basketball team was the surprising reason why. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2025 Dan started playing this beautiful line, and Aly and I hummed along. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025 What the Kremlin doesn’t have is a lot of tanks, or any means of using them to meaningful effect on a battlefield humming with drones. David Axe, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 Cue the foot-tapping, head-nodding and humming along. Lara Bockenstedt, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum
Noun
  • Giving him a little hug and hearing him purr definitely lifts my spirit.
    David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
  • My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out the anticipatory purr of two ambulance engines idling nearby.
    Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The pipeline bursting is the latest painful incident in a city with a long history of infrastructure problems.
    Annalise Frank, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Of course, on this sunny Sunday about a month ago, there was no flying gravel, no bursting tires or broken axles, and certainly nobody exceeding the 30 mph speed limit.
    Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • American Maverick McNealy generated some Ryder Cup buzz for himself with eight birdies in his first 11 holes to take an early lead.
    Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Our suite was tucked in the neighboring cove, within earshot of the buzzing beach clubs.
    Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 20 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • And that whisper affected several subsequent batches.
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Casualties of the layoff have turned to online whisper networks such as Blind to air their grievances.
    Brooke Erin Duffy, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • On the field, Orozco was successful in her first season before missing last year due to the aforementioned bulging disc.
    Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Things take a turn when Gregory enters the room, muscles bulging under his cardigan, looking for left-handed scissors.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The noises of all the organisms living together in a particular place—the trill of birdsong, thrum of insect wings, rustle of leaves, cacophony of yips, or a lonely midnight howl—make up that setting’s biophony, an audio signature of life.
    The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Crows rustle in Dylan Southern’s fiction feature debut, the haunting story of a middle-aged man coming to terms with the sudden and unexpected death of his wife, the mother of his two boys.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Rent a small car or Vespa to zip around the narrow roads, discovering vineyards with volcanic soil, prehistoric villages, and underwater caves along the way.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025
  • Guiding this Road Runner that can zip away from Shelby Mustangs with Coyote engines would be Nico Rondet, a Frenchman raised in Brazil.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Where Something Went Right: While some Angelenos cast around for someone to blame, a whole cooperative emergency-response system whirred to life.
    Sam Lubell, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
  • Here is a world where carcasses sizzle on the grill, insects whir around sweat-glistening flesh, and pills are strewn on the table, as Rose begins imbibing a cocktail of mystery tablets prescribed to her by Gómez.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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