hum

1 of 2

verb

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 hummingJ. 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 adjective

hum

2 of 2

chiefly British spelling of , hem entry 4

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

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of hum was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near hum

Cite this Entry

“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hum. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on hum

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