1
as in humming
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
the sound of droning bees all around us
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in idling
to spend time doing nothing
instead of getting a job, he preferred to drone and live off his parents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of droning
The conventional gearbox also avoids the droning often associated with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs).
—
New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
Living rooms welcome the ambient tones of squeaking sneakers and droning cheer squads.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
The album opens with droning, distorted guitars, a funereal chug enlivened by unexpectedly gargantuan drums.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
The muses of these two shows felt titillatingly out of reach, an arch if mischievous contrast to the many designers droning backstage about wanting to dress real women (and then giving them completely boring clothes).
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Whereas the film is madcap and edgy—even bratty—the Wuthering Heights album is sullen and stately, built upon strings and droning electronics.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
As far as Garland’s projects go, Devs comes closest to matching the paranoia and droning anxiety of the multi-hyphenate’s literary work.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
The standout craft element here is a powerful horror score by Hildur Gudnadottir that ranges from solemn, quasi-ecclesiastical passages to gut-churning, droning soundscapes.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
The harsh grinding of the elevated cable system is heard over low droning music.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
Living rooms welcome the ambient tones of squeaking sneakers and droning cheer squads.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
The album opens with droning, distorted guitars, a funereal chug enlivened by unexpectedly gargantuan drums.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
The muses of these two shows felt titillatingly out of reach, an arch if mischievous contrast to the many designers droning backstage about wanting to dress real women (and then giving them completely boring clothes).
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Whereas the film is madcap and edgy—even bratty—the Wuthering Heights album is sullen and stately, built upon strings and droning electronics.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
As far as Garland’s projects go, Devs comes closest to matching the paranoia and droning anxiety of the multi-hyphenate’s literary work.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
The standout craft element here is a powerful horror score by Hildur Gudnadottir that ranges from solemn, quasi-ecclesiastical passages to gut-churning, droning soundscapes.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
The harsh grinding of the elevated cable system is heard over low droning music.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droning
Verb
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When the paint has dried and the kitchen is humming, expansion could feel like a blessing for the Rileys.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Apr. 2026
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Data centers on Earth are not just static buildings full of chips humming away, says Raul Martynek, the CEO of DataBank, a company that maintains 75 data centers, primarily located in the United States.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Other steps like keeping tires inflated, using A/C sparingly as needed, using cruise control, avoiding long idling, and servicing your vehicle regularly can also significantly help save fuel, GasBuddy recommends.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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Think of children waiting at bus stops as the wind snapped trees, or parents idling in carpool lines as the tornado warning notifications blared on their phones.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Numbers aside, the sleeveless look had his teammates buzzing.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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The buzzing grew, steady and direct, and the drone emerged from between city buildings, cut through the rain, and stopped inches from Pok.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Thankfully, Janus Films will release Kurosawa’s bone-chilling short at IFC Center in New York City starting this weekend.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
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At about midday Tuesday, the Puerto Vallarta resident posted an image of a plastic tub with what appeared to be a pinto spiny lobster chilling inside.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Jules seems to be living the high life, lounging in a penthouse in front of an easel as someone’s muse or, perhaps, sugar baby.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
1 Apr. 2026
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Kid Cudi is lounging in a colorful attic much like the one in his childhood home in Cleveland.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Cubs went from playing in 100-plus degree weather for over a week in Arizona to wind chills in the upper 20s on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field in their 6-2 win over the Angels.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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These are the public spaces that guests mill about in—sipping a berry cooler at the long bar, enjoying a glass of malbec and a read by the stove, or playing monopoly at the communal table.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
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Faster pit stops could also help unlock sales for electric two-wheelers, which have been slow to catch on due to dawdling charge times and limited riding range.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Mar. 2023
Verb
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The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Droning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droning. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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