percussive

1 of 2

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

percussiveness

2 of 2

noun

per·​cus·​sive·​ness

-sivnə̇s, 

-sēv- also -səv-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being percussive

to his harpsichord style he carries over a pianistic percussiveness

—Saturday Review

Examples of percussive in a Sentence

Adjective

The song had a punchy, percussive rhythm.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The musicians, discreetly performing at the back of the stage under the guidance of Mesoamerican instruments director Christopher García, charge the air with percussive Indigenous wonder. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Zeller sets this up ably by incorporating the sledgehammer blows of the builder hired by Toby into percussive passages of Volker Bertelmann’s ominous score. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Since the student arrived, Fastabend has been working on incorporating percussive hand movements that replicate the tap sensation to some degree. — Anya Sesay, jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Not much helping is Tom Hodge’s score, the percussive thrust of which sounds mostly driven by bongoes. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1