HUM Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

hum 1 of 2

noun

Definition of hum

as in purr

a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion we heard the hum of an outboard motor and a few minutes later the small craft came into sight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

hum

2 of 2

verb

ˈhəm

as in to burst

to be copiously supplied one restaurant was humming with diners, while a neighboring eatery was practically empty

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to buzz

to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound a helicopter hummed overhead

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hum

Noun

The ritual hum of leaf blowers fires up in the fall and marks the change in season as much as vibrant leaves falling from the trees. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 On campus, there's that hum of excitement in the air as students find their way to classes, meet new roommates and scurry off to pep rallies and rush week. — Janet W. Lee, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Verb

So the investors, led by Hackman Capital Partners, Blackstone and Bain Capital, piled in to buy studio space, betting that the streaming boom and Wall Street’s collective shrug at profits would keep facilities humming. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 Beneath it all hums the climate crisis, driving hotter, drier weather and pushing the water cycle off balance. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hum

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hum

Noun

Highlights and experiences It is always a special event stepping out of Venice’s airport onto a pontoon and a polished mahogany water taxi that drops you off canalside near your hotel, after a purr through the Grand Canal.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Kimie Smothermon begins each day greeted by the squeals, chirps and purrs of nearly 400 guinea pigs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of purr

Verb

But on Monday, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan likened many of the investors drawn to the AI boom to gamblers and questioned the economics of AI labs as Wall Street debates whether the AI bubble will burst.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Seven months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, explosions burst through two Nord Stream gas pipelines – Russia’s controversial gas highway into Europe – in the waters between Sweden and Poland.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of burst

Verb

During the session, moderated by Grace Barber-Plentie, BFI London Film Festival programmer, the star repeatedly drew applause and laughter from an adoring crowd that left the room buzzing about Ackie’s passion and natural charisma.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026
With the Air Jordan 4’s buzz still at a peak, now could be the perfect time to complete the trio with a retail release.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of buzz

Noun

Monday was a perfect example, when the two biggest drags on the S&P 500 were Nvidia and Micron, but were offset almost to the penny by gains in Apple and Meta, helping the index itself to finish a whisper from unchanged.

— Michael Santoli, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Lance Leipold has heard the whispers through the years that perhaps Kansas’ football coach doesn’t place enough emphasis on the yearly Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of whisper

Verb

Simmons has been out since training camp, with what head coach Andy Reid more recently called a bulging disc in his back.

— Sam McDowell October 12, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Like clockwork, Khloé’s eye starts bulging out, Kylie Jenner grows a tail, and Kourtney’s face becomes a fingernail.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of bulge

Verb

The Bangkok outpost in the Ratchadamri shopping district draws distinguished guests who zip around the city via the connecting BTS Skytrain station.

— Condé Nast, cntraveler.com, 7 Oct. 2026
But up here on the terraces of the Anantara Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi, the shrieks of day-tripping cruise passengers, zipping back and forth in Tango-orange tenders, are pleasantly faint.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of zip

Noun

The full textile experience, after all, is multisensory—visual, tactile, and sometimes auditory (think of taffeta’s distinctive rustle).

— Leslie Camhi, Vogue, 15 Sep. 2026
Still, Polk’s family found peace there, watching big owls swoop down and falling asleep to the rustle of two acres of trees.

— Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of rustle

Verb

Before the meeting started, an attendee asked a DEC employee by the sign-in table about the large industrial fans built into the gym’s walls, which were whirring noisily.

— Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
Powerful cutters have whirred to life on a giant drill that will begin boring a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting Manhattan to New Jersey.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of whir

Browse Nearby Words

hulls

hum

human

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“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hum. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hum

noun

verb

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