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

Verb

• abound
• brim
• bristle
• bulge
• burst
• bustle
• buzz
• crawl
• overflow
• pullulate
• swarm
• teem

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.

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Nicky Hilton, Nina Dobrev and Shaun White have also been guests at the property, which boasts 50 casitas that look out to humming tropical forest. —Kathryn Romeyn, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2023

That Dream Edition should hum from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (0 to 62 miles per hour) in 3.5 seconds or less. —IEEE Spectrum, 18 Nov. 2023

YouTube announced several new AI music tools this week — including one in development that could help turn songwriters’ thoughts into actual music just by humming an idea — though the voice clones were the most noteworthy feature. —Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 17 Nov. 2023

Compared with Very’s and Eliade’s, the Christianity humming beneath Andrew S. Jacobs’s Gospel Thrillers: Conspiracy, Fiction, and the Vulnerable Bible (Cambridge University Press, $39.99) is positively cookie-cutter. —Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023

Now, as Biden and Xi prepare to meet at the Asia Pacific summit, U.S. growth is humming while China struggles with a property slump and local government debts. —Greg Ip, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023

Scarcity has made palates incurious, leading to a nativist turn in national appetites: Think pallid plates of fish and chips in England, a country that once hummed with curry houses sitting along a vibrant Brick Lane. —Mayukh Sen, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023

Divide your family into two teams and alternate humming your favorite holiday tunes. —Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023

The above discussion has implications for women in entrepreneurship and investors who keep the entrepreneurial wheels humming. —Kumar Mehta, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

See More

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

Phrases Containing hum

• ho-hum

• ho-hum

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