um

interjection

\ a prolonged m sound

How to pronounce um (audio)

, əm \

Definition of um

—used to indicate hesitation well, um, I don't know

Examples of um in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My wife donated two pairs of pantyhose, so four, um, devices. — Doug George, chicagotribune.com, "How I fought this February’s ice dams and won, with pantyhose," 23 Feb. 2021 Never has that been more clear than this week, when Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino and actor Timothée Chalamet dropped some news that, given what's going on with Armie Hammer right now, maybe, um, could've waited? — Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "Armie Hammer’s Ex Can’t Believe Timothée Chalamet Is Making A Cannibal Movie Either," 31 Jan. 2021 Disney’s beloved Haunted Mansion comes to life—um, death—in this ghostly game of spooky spirits. — Popular Science, "The best spooky board games for late night gaming," 8 Jan. 2021 There should definitely be an award for something like, um, Nearest Missed Kiss in the Snow or Most Realistic Enjoyment of Christmas Cookies or Hot Cocoa. — Dan Snierson, EW.com, "Melissa Joan Hart on being a Lifetime Christmas queen — and how to force holiday cheer out of an actor," 27 Nov. 2020 Regé-Jean Page, the breakout star of Netflix's Regency-era romance Bridgerton, is causing quite an, um, stir on Twitter over a social media post. — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, "Bridgerton Fans Are Calling for Regé-Jean Page to Be the Next James Bond," 6 Jan. 2021 Mel Tucker's second-half adjustments, on the other hand, um, did not. — Chris Thomas, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State football's Gruff Sparty logo can't go out like this," 12 Dec. 2020 As the shot widens, finish off your video by, um, humping the air. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The 25 Best Musical TikTok Trends of 2020," 18 Dec. 2020 On Wednesday, Meyers-Shyer chimed in with an, um, fairly negative review of the taxonomy on Instagram, which surprised many readers who initially read the pieces as generous tributes—and got no small amount of celebrities up in arms. — Emma Specter, Vogue, "What’s Going On With the Nancy Meyers Family Drama?," 17 Dec. 2020

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

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Last Updated

27 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Um.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/um. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for um

um

interjection

English Language Learners Definition of um

—used when you hesitate because you are not sure about what to say

See the full definition for um in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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