um

interjection

a prolonged

m 

sound

əm

—used to indicate hesitation

well, um, I don't know

Examples of um in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Had there ever been a 21-0 streak (by the Tigers) … followed by, um, this? — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Quer esteja sendo percebido ou não, o amor de Deus, o bem, é inerente a todos e cada um. — Margaret Rogers, Christian Science Monitor, 29 July 2026

By the way, Suzanne’s suitors take it well when Amy tells them that Will, um, won. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 28 July 2026

The speculative nattering kicked in at around the same time the last scrap of golden confetti had found a resting place on the turf at, um, New York New Jersey Stadium. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 24 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing um

• no-see-um

Rhymes for um

• bum
• chum
• come
• crum
• cum
• drum
• dum
• dumb
• from
• frum
• glum
• gum

Kids Definition

um

interjection

a prolonged

m 

sound, əm

—used to express hesitation

well, um, I don't know