hum

play

verb \ ˈhəm \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of hum

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

play \ˈhə-mə-bəl\ adjective

See hum defined for English-language learners

See hum defined for kids

Examples of hum in a Sentence

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 of hum from the Web

But right now the economy is humming along with a 4.3 percent unemployment rate, a record high stock market and no recession in sight.

— neil irwin, New York Times, "Will the Republican Tax Bill Be Aimed at the Economic Past, or the Future?," 25 Aug. 2017
Graves slipped around to the back - past humming electrical boxes and down a wide concrete alley.

— amy yurkanin, AL.com, "Poor, rural and addicted: Drugs drive surge in white women in prison," 24 Aug. 2017
Despite the dire straits and outrageous heat, the hospital hums along pleasantly.

— annabelle timsit, The Atlantic, "South Sudan's Last Surgeon and the Church of Duterte: The Week in Global-Affairs Writing," 11 Aug. 2017
Once everything is humming along nicely, the digital twin hands over to the physical factory to begin making things for real.

— The Economist, "The Gemini makersMillions of things will soon have digital twins," 13 July 2017
By the late '80s, kids all over Connecticut were humming the song after scoring a goal in street hockey.

— paul doyle, courant.com, "Ode To Joy: 'Brass Bonanza' Unites And Excites Whalers Fans, And Is Back In Spotlight," 11 July 2017
Thanks to low interest rates and a humming economy,...

— anton troianovski, WSJ, "German Building Boom Unearths Explosive Problem," 19 June 2017
The smell of gas permeates the air as a blue truck with a dolphin on the back hums by.

— briana erickson, miamiherald, "While tourists drink water out of a bottle, Cubans ration and boil a limited supply," 25 May 2017
But eating five to six mini meals rather than three larger meals every day keeps your metabolism humming 24/7.

— Redbook, "20 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Increase Metabolism," 23 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of hum

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

hum Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

chirr, churr; thrum; fizz, hiss, murmur, purr, rustle, sigh, sizzle, swish, whisper; coo, curr; wheeze, whistle, whoosh

Near Antonyms

lack, need, want

hum

Definition of hum

chiefly British spelling of hem , hem:4

HUM Defined for English Language Learners

hum

play

verb

Definition of hum for English Language Learners

: to make a low continuous sound
: to sing the notes of a song while keeping your lips closed
: to be very active or busy

HUM Defined for Kids

hum

play

verb \ ˈhəm \

Definition of hum for Students

hummed; humming

1 :to utter a sound like a long \m\

2 :to make the buzzing noise of a flying insect

3 :to make musical tones with closed lips

4 :to give forth a low murmur of sounds

The street was humming with activity.

5 :to be very busy or active

The mall hummed with shoppers.

hum

noun

Definition of hum for Students

1 :a low continuous noise

the hum of bees

2 :musical tones voiced without words

Medical Dictionary

hum

play

noun \ ˈhəm \

medical Definition of hum

:a sound like that made by humming; especially :venous hum

Learn More about hum

See words that rhyme with hum Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hum Spanish Central: Translation of hum Nglish: Translation of hum for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hum for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hum

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HUM Defined for English Language Learners

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