strummed; strumming
1
a
: to brush the fingers over the strings of (a musical instrument) in playing
strum a guitar
also
: thrum entry 1 sense 1
b
: to play (music) on a stringed instrument
strum a tune
2
: to cause to sound vibrantly
winds strummed the rigging—
H. A. Chippendale
H. A. Chippendale
strummer
noun
Examples of strum in a Sentence
Verb
He strummed a tune on the guitar.
Recent Examples on the WebPCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Otherwise, the acoustic strums and percussive hits are bright and crisp, while the passive radiators do a decent job of bulking up the lows.
—PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024
The four-time Grammy winner then got through one guitar strum before all but one of the cats immediately fled the scene.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2024
As soon as Sheeran attempts his first strum, most of the cats quickly scatter, forgetting their food to escape the music.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024
The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits are never dull, but could also benefit from more high-frequency attention.
—PCMAG, 26 Jan. 2024
On the album’s opening title track, Greenwood unspools some acoustic lullaby strum and Yorke coos anxiously as his voice pings amid elegiacally dissolving electro-acoustic folderol.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024
And because the musicians play so precisely onstage — each strum in place, each groove just right — the songs differed little from the versions permanently stored in your head.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024
Worries escalated as this new cohort of generative AI tools threatened the livelihoods of people who write, draw, strum or code for a living.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2023
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Loog Mini Guitar $98 Buy on Walmart Buy on Uncommon Goods
Your little rock star can learn to strum on this three-string guitar that’s perfectly sized for tiny hands.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 24 Mar. 2024
However, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts, Ed Norton ended up stepping in as replacement — and there are pictures of him strumming a banjo to prove it.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2024
Perhaps hearing a good tune on the radio or strumming out a new melody on a good guitar is enough to justify her American dreaming.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Mar. 2024
Loog Mini Guitar Your little rock star can learn to strum on this three-string guitar that’s perfectly sized for tiny hands.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 24 Mar. 2024
With his trusty acoustic guitar in hand, Sheeran briefly crashes to his knees, but almost instantly recovers and hops up to strum his instrument while turning around to the below-stage void behind him with a knowing smile.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2024
In the preview clip, Swift strums her acoustic guitar while singing several lines of the chorus into the post chorus, looking into the audience and smiling in between the powerful verses of the Lover track.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
The retro-looking snap posted on Monday night (Feb. 5) has Stefani lounging on a 1970s stripey couch in a denim jumpsuit, chunky-heeled shoes and a bra, while Shelton sits on a chair in jeans and a denim shirt with leather epaulets while strumming a guitar.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2024
Noun
Callahan’s baritone vocals are rich, while the guitar strums exhibit plenty of midrange body.
—PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Otherwise, the acoustic strums and percussive hits are bright and crisp, while the passive radiators do a decent job of bulking up the lows.
—PCMAG, 6 Feb. 2024
The four-time Grammy winner then got through one guitar strum before all but one of the cats immediately fled the scene.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Jan. 2024
As soon as Sheeran attempts his first strum, most of the cats quickly scatter, forgetting their food to escape the music.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024
The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits are never dull, but could also benefit from more high-frequency attention.
—PCMAG, 26 Jan. 2024
On the album’s opening title track, Greenwood unspools some acoustic lullaby strum and Yorke coos anxiously as his voice pings amid elegiacally dissolving electro-acoustic folderol.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024
And because the musicians play so precisely onstage — each strum in place, each groove just right — the songs differed little from the versions permanently stored in your head.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2024
Worries escalated as this new cohort of generative AI tools threatened the livelihoods of people who write, draw, strum or code for a living.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2023
Verb
The two women strummed their guitars and took turns singing the song’s lyrics before joining together in harmony for the chorus.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Loog Mini Guitar $98 Buy on Walmart Buy on Uncommon Goods
Your little rock star can learn to strum on this three-string guitar that’s perfectly sized for tiny hands.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 24 Mar. 2024
However, reportedly due to scheduling conflicts, Ed Norton ended up stepping in as replacement — and there are pictures of him strumming a banjo to prove it.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2024
Perhaps hearing a good tune on the radio or strumming out a new melody on a good guitar is enough to justify her American dreaming.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Mar. 2024
Loog Mini Guitar Your little rock star can learn to strum on this three-string guitar that’s perfectly sized for tiny hands.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 24 Mar. 2024
With his trusty acoustic guitar in hand, Sheeran briefly crashes to his knees, but almost instantly recovers and hops up to strum his instrument while turning around to the below-stage void behind him with a knowing smile.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2024
In the preview clip, Swift strums her acoustic guitar while singing several lines of the chorus into the post chorus, looking into the audience and smiling in between the powerful verses of the Lover track.
—Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024
The retro-looking snap posted on Monday night (Feb. 5) has Stefani lounging on a 1970s stripey couch in a denim jumpsuit, chunky-heeled shoes and a bra, while Shelton sits on a chair in jeans and a denim shirt with leather epaulets while strumming a guitar.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'strum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near strum
Cite this Entry
“Strum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strum. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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