buzz

1 of 2

verb

buzzed; buzzing; buzzes

intransitive verb

1
: to make a low continuous humming sound like that of a bee
2
b
: to be filled with a confused murmur
the room buzzed with excitement
3
: to make a signal with a buzzer
4
: to go quickly : hurry
buzzed around town in a sports car
also : scram
usually used with off
5
: to feel high especially from a drug

transitive verb

1
: to utter covertly by or as if by whispering
2
: to cause to buzz
3
: to fly fast and close to
planes buzz the crowd
4
: to summon or signal with a buzzer
also : to let in through an electronically controlled entrance
used with in or through
buzzed him in
5
dialectal, England : to drink to the last drop
get some more port whilst I buzz this bottleW. M. Thackeray

buzz

2 of 2

noun

1
: a persistent vibratory sound
2
a
: a confused murmur
b
c
: a flurry of activity
d
: fad, craze
e
: speculative or excited talk or attention relating especially to a new or forthcoming product or event
one of the few new shows that's getting good buzzTV Guide
also : an instance of such talk or attention
their first CD created a huge buzz
3
: a signal conveyed by buzzer
specifically : a telephone call
4
slang : high sense 4

Examples of buzz in a Sentence

Verb Flies were buzzing around the picnic tables. The hall buzzed with excitement as the audience waited for the show to start. My mind is buzzing with ideas. The nurse buzzed the doctor who was on duty. She buzzed her secretary to say she was going out for lunch. Ring the bell when you arrive and someone will buzz you into the building. Let me buzz you out. Noun We heard the buzz of the bees as we walked through the garden. When the machine is turned on, it makes a quiet buzz. There was a buzz of voices in the hall as the audience waited for the show to start. What's the latest buzz about their marriage? The buzz is that she turned down the job because the pay was too low. There's been quite a buzz about the new movie. The team's new players are creating a buzz among baseball fans. There's been a lot of buzz about the new movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev's quarterfinal match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. on Thursday had everyone buzzing! Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Vanessa Hudgens' pregnancy reveal was the talk of the Oscars red carpet Before the ceremony started, the red carpet was buzzing not just about the glamorous movie stars but also the very showy pregnancy of Vanessa Hudgens, co-host of ABC's Oscars pre-show telecast. USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 On a recent night, a woman named Robin was asleep next to her husband, Steve, in their Brooklyn home, when her phone buzzed on the bedside table. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2024 There’s been some mild noise about spoiler contenders here—maybe Barbie will ride the backlash to a win; maybe The Zone of Interest will capitalize on buzzing discussion of a film that’s daringly topical. David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 TikTok is buzzing with unemployed Gen Z graduates scrambling to secure a career in the current tough job market. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune Europe, 7 Mar. 2024 The market, which was buzzing from the get go, boasted a significant international presence from the U.K., Korea, Turkey, Spain, Germany and Saudi Arabia, besides a sizeable Indian contingent. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Stay at The Charlee Lifestyle Hotel in Medellín’s buzzing Zona Rosa neighborhood. Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2024 All that helps explain the modest, at best, buzz around Tuesday’s election. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024
Noun
The impressive receipts also came with frenzied buzz, boosted by a dizzying amount of marketing tie-ins and Robbie’s impressive press-tour fashions inspired by actual looks worn by the famous doll over the years. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 There was a tremendous amount of buzz about a band from Arizona called Gin Blossoms. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2024 What's more, the Dr. Scholl's Time Off Sneakers have been generating buzz on TikTok for the past year. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 With great buzz and the lion’s share of premium large-format showtimes, the Warner Bros. release stands to continue a very strong run throughout the month. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 Free advance screenings are available for most new movies, usually to generate buzz before a film is released in theaters or on streaming services. Laura Daily, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Already, Mercer Labs has generated buzz on social media, with more than 30,000 followers for its Instagram account. Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 As to Most Likely Not To in particular, Ian noted people are excited and are posting all over social media trying to generate buzz. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Today, the clatter of cutlery and the buzz of conversation compete with the steady stream of delivery drivers and the ping of online orders. Craig Dunaway, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buzz.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English bussen, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buzz was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near buzz

Cite this Entry

“Buzz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzz. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

buzz

1 of 2 verb
1
: to make a low continuous humming sound like that of a bee
2
: to be filled with a low hum or murmur
the room buzzed with excitement
3
: to send for or signal by means of a buzzer
4
: to fly an airplane low over

buzz

2 of 2 noun
1
: a sound of buzzing
2
a
: a signal given by a buzzer
b
: a telephone call

More from Merriam-Webster on buzz

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