strum

1 of 2

noun

: 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
b
: to play (music) on a stringed instrument
strum a tune
2
: to cause to sound vibrantly
winds strummed the riggingH. 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
Otherwise, the acoustic strums and percussive hits are bright and crisp, while the passive radiators do a decent job of bulking up the lows. PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024 The four-time Grammy winner then got through one guitar strum before all but one of the cats immediately fled the scene. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2024 As soon as Sheeran attempts his first strum, most of the cats quickly scatter, forgetting their food to escape the music. Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024 The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits are never dull, but could also benefit from more high-frequency attention. PCMAG, 26 Jan. 2024 On the album’s opening title track, Greenwood unspools some acoustic lullaby strum and Yorke coos anxiously as his voice pings amid elegiacally dissolving electro-acoustic folderol. Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024 And because the musicians play so precisely onstage — each strum in place, each groove just right — the songs differed little from the versions permanently stored in your head. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024 Worries escalated as this new cohort of generative AI tools threatened the livelihoods of people who write, draw, strum or code for a living. Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2023 Just think of the opening scene where clapping horse hooves merge with the delicate strum of a banjo. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2023
Verb
The retro-looking snap posted on Monday night (Feb. 5) has Stefani lounging on a 1970s stripey couch in a denim jumpsuit, chunky-heeled shoes and a bra, while Shelton sits on a chair in jeans and a denim shirt with leather epaulets while strumming a guitar. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2024 That caveat accompanied a picture of Gaga sitting on a day bed in front of a window strumming an electric guitar, a vocal mic positioned in front of her. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2024 New Orleans native Anders Osborne was standing on a New York street corner strumming his guitar when he was approached by a somewhat odd man. Tricia Despres, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024 With strumming guitars, those ballads showed her vulnerability and especially her versatility, just a hint of things to come. Rashad Walker, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 In the dead of winter, an icy frost sometimes settles over the island, and branches strum against each other like violins. Sue Eisenfeld, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Taking the stage alone in front of a stack of amps and wearing all black, backlit by green floodlights, Rossdale strummed out buzzy chords backed by a string quartet. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2024 Mothersbaugh, Casale, and the rest of their original six-person lineup didn’t earnestly strum acoustic guitars. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 Jan. 2024 Jaye Bartell, theater manager for the Anthology Film Archives, strummed a folksy and mournful guitar tune. Alex Vadukul, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strum.' 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

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1764, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of strum was in 1764

Dictionary Entries Near strum

Cite this Entry

“Strum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strum. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

strum

verb
ˈstrəm
strummed; strumming
: to play a stringed instrument by brushing the strings with the fingers
strummer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on strum

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