croon

verb \ ˈkrün \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of croon

intransitive verb

1 chiefly Scotland : bellow, boom

2 : to sing or speak in a gentle murmuring manner

The mother crooned as she rocked the baby.

; especially : to sing in a soft intimate manner adapted to amplifying systems

transitive verb

: to sing (something, such as a popular song or a lullaby) in a crooning manner

… croons ballads that conjure up the tenderness of puppy love …
—Joan Morgan

—

croon

noun

See croon defined for English-language learners

See croon defined for kids

Examples of croon in a Sentence

The mother crooned as she rocked the baby.

Recent Examples of croon from the Web

Ere long a torch song singer was crooning some Jazz Age hits and the dance floor was crowded with flappers in fringed black shimmy frocks and their tuxedoed swains, giving us full-on Chicago in New York.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "Hamish Bowles Goes Inside Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda and Sartoria Events in New York City," 9 Apr. 2018
Across the lawn, green as a golf course, an Elvis impersonator croons from a bandstand that used to be a flatbed trailer.

— meadow rue merrill, BostonGlobe.com, "How giving food away saved a Maine restaurant," 4 Apr. 2018
Leading man and head songwriter Andy Dunnigan croons with both his steely mountain air vocals and his steely sweet Dobro, with his bandmates joined at the hip every step of the way.

— aaron davis, sacbee, "Three to see: Soak up some rock, bluegrass, electronic and pop sounds," 30 Mar. 2018
Michael Milosh sang in an androgynous alto and collaborated with Danish producer Robin Hannibal on arrangements that blended smooth jazz, gentle R&B, and crooning soft rock.

— Philly.com, "Album reviews: Migos, Camila Cabello, Rhye," 1 Feb. 2018
The fares for those charming symbols of San Francisco that climb halfway to the stars, as Tony Bennett so famously crooned, have blasted through the stratosphere.

— heather knight, San Francisco Chronicle, "Cable cars’ ding goes for your wallet, too," 27 Mar. 2018
Mohr crooned tenderly with a smile that reflected the beautiful sunset taking place.

— jason keil, azcentral, "Phil Lesh and the Terrapin Family Band keep spirit of Grateful Dead alive at Pot of Gold," 18 Mar. 2018
The founder of one of the oldest musical acts here, Rodríguez croons boleros and lyrical anthems that at times quicken the heart and at others create a daydreamy lull.

— author: arelis r. hernandez, Anchorage Daily News, "Exodus from Puerto Rico grows as island struggles to rebound from Hurricane Maria," 7 Mar. 2018
Singers of all ages will croon away on the concourse, so wear appropriate clothing.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "National Anthem tryouts set for Akron RubberDucks games," 13 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'croon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of croon

Middle English croynen, from Middle Dutch cronen; akin to Old High German crōnen to chatter

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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CROON Defined for English Language Learners

croon

verb

Definition of croon for English Language Learners

: to sing (a song) in a low soft voice

CROON Defined for Kids

croon

verb \ ˈkrün \

Definition of croon for Students

crooned; crooning

: to hum or sing in a low soft voice

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See words that rhyme with croon Spanish Central: Translation of croon Nglish: Translation of croon for Spanish speakers

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croon

Definition of croon

croon

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Origin and Etymology of croon

CROON Defined for English Language Learners

croon

Definition of croon for English Language Learners

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croon

Definition of croon for Students

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croon

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