HUMMING Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

humming 1 of 2

adjective

as in buzzing

marked by much life, movement, or activity the new science center is usually humming with school groups on Thursdays

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

humming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hum

as in bursting

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in zipping

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 humming

Adjective

The Colts’ offense is absolutely humming. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025

Verb

The show has turned into a case-of-the-season procedural with the alien stuff humming in the background as the overarching mythology. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 10 July 2026 Féry applied even more pressure in Cobolli’s next service game, and leant into the humming atmosphere by asking for more noise when his opponent netted a tight forehand for 0-30. — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 8 July 2026 Increasingly, the crux of the debate around AI’s sustainability has been focused on data centers, which make the nebulous concept of AI very concrete with their massive, humming warehouses full of servers and huge energy requirements. — Sasha Luccioni, Time, 3 July 2026 Project Bluestem Data centers emit humming sounds from generators, fans and other equipment. — Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 2 July 2026 This boxy humming machine was basically the teacher's equivalent of a supercomputer and about as high-tech as things got in those days. — Sarah Scott, Parents, 30 June 2026 The stock market gains that have helped keep the economy humming have exacerbated the yawning wealth gap. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 June 2026 Brynjolfsson is teaching overflow classes about AI and technological progress, as well as running a humming lab tracking AI’s effect on workers, firms, and human welfare. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026 Gabriel Prévost was for Clare the human embodiment of a great work of art, the kind that set her body humming. — Lisa Henricksson, Air Mail, 27 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for humming

Adjective

Many of them, like Tubbs, were refugee Midwesterners, sick of parching droughts and devouring plagues of locusts, the insects descending in buzzing clouds thick enough to blacken the noonday sun.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Common symptoms include vertigo, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, ringing, buzzing or other noises, as well as hearing loss.

— Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of buzzing

Verb

After bursting onto the first-team scene under Jurgen Klopp in 2022-23, his career has stalled repeatedly because of injuries.

— Andy Jones, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Most economists now seem to agree that the immediate threat of a recession has passed, but that does not mean there is not concern about inflation, geopolitical tensions or a bursting AI bubble knocking the economy off track.

— Scott Cohn, CNBC, 13 July 2026

Definition of bursting

Verb

Its compact size and functional interior and exterior pockets will make zipping through airport security or stopping for gas on road trips a breeze — no more digging through disorganized totes to locate your wallet and phone.

— Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Returning to the director’s chair 11 years after drug-cartel drama 600 Miles, Gabriel Ripstein keeps things zipping along in an entertaining satire which, once again, highlights the rottenness at international football’s core.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026

Definition of zipping

Adjective

The Pierside in Santa Monica has been exceptionally busy during the World Cup, with many tourists opting to stay near the beach despite the longer trek to SoFi Stadium where the games are held.

— Lily Wright, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Journey actually has a live stream of the beach in one of the community areas, which is a good way to check how busy the beaches are before heading out.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026

Definition of busy

Verb

Silent neutron stars at the center of supernova blast sites may actually be whispering softly, following the detection of faint radio emissions coming from one such object for the first time.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 July 2026
Hears the doctors whispering in the corner of the room about his decline.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

Definition of whispering

Adjective

The tour started Tuesday in the western Pennsylvania town of Greensburg — once the hub of a thriving coal industry that now lures visitors from nearby Pittsburgh for highland recreation and a historic downtown.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
My Vision for a thriving Orange County is based around leveraging our area’s natural advantages, particularly in SpaceTech.

— Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026

Definition of thriving

Verb

Angela George The voting machines are whirring at a clip, which in turn makes the pace of the afternoon feel fast.

— Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026
But something about the collective excitement of a reunion struck a chord, and the machine started whirring.

— Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 30 June 2026

Definition of whirring

Adjective

But while the actor has been known to dabble in more neutral hues of the shimmering effect, this new shade is a vibrant, vinegary departure.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 9 July 2026
Wacky animal sidekicks once felt vibrant in a holistic world of artifice; here, a goggle-eyed rooster just looks diseased.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of vibrant

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hummers

humming

hummock

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“Humming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humming. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of humming

adjective

verb

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