hum

1 of 2

verb

ˈhəm 

hummed; humming

intransitive verb

1

a

: to utter a sound like that of the speech sound \m\ prolonged

humming along with the music

b

: to make the natural noise of an insect in motion or a similar sound : drone

listening to the bees hum in the garden

c

: to give forth a low continuous blend of sound

… the sound of children's voices with which the house was always humming.

—J. M. Brinnin

2

a

: to be busily active

the museum hummed with visitors

b

: to run smoothly

the business started to hum

transitive verb

1

: to sing with the lips closed and without uttering speech sounds distinctly

hum a tune

2

: to express by making a vocal sound with the lips pressed together : to affect by humming

hummed his displeasure

hum noun

hummable

ˈhə-mə-bəl 

adjective

hum

2 of 2

chiefly British spelling of hem entry 3, hem entry 4

Synonyms of hum

Verb

• burst
• buzz
• bulge

Examples of hum in a Sentence

Verb

The garden was humming with bees.

The refrigerator hummed in the background.

I was humming to myself.

We hummed along to the music.

I hummed a little song.

By noon, the office was really humming.

The restaurant hums on weekends.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Five racks of computer servers hummed in a futuristic yet industrial-looking classroom at Atlanta Technical College, south of downtown. —Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 26 May 2026

The North Carolina mountains are home to a plethora of treasured towns including Asheville, Brevard, and Cashiers that are always humming with activity to celebrate the region. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 24 May 2026

Ventilators hummed in an intensive care unit. —Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026

The Hidden Liability In Your Basement For decades, the physical server room was treated as a necessary evil—rows of network video recorders (NVRs) humming in back offices, consulted only after something went wrong and then forgotten. —Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English hummen; akin to Middle High German hummen to hum, Middle Dutch hommel bumblebee

First Known Use

Verb

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

Rhymes for hum

• bum
• chum
• come
• crum
• cum
• drum
• dum
• dumb
• from
• frum
• glum
• gum

Kids Definition

hum

verb

ˈhəm

hummed; humming

1

a

: to utter a continuous \m\ sound

b

: to make the natural buzzing sound of an insect in motion or a sound like it : drone

c

: to give forth a low continuous blend of sound

2

: to produce musical tones while keeping the lips closed

3

: to be busily active

the place was humming

hum noun

hummer noun

Medical Definition

hum

noun

ˈhəm 

: a sound like that made by humming

especially : venous hum