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

Both are keeping growth humming at a reasonably steady pace and maintaining the unemployment rate at a healthy level just above 4%. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 To build the president’s White House ballroom, roughly 250 workers have been pouring concrete and installing steel framework, keeping the site humming for 20 hours a day, seven days a week. — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026 As the Yeomen continued losing games last year, the larger college-football machine kept humming at campuses across the country. — Jesse Dougherty, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026 While Google's position in AI is viewed as tenuous by some market experts, the ad business keeps on humming along, growing 14% in the latest quarter. — Mackenzie Sigalos,drew Troast, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026 Sandra Ogbebor hunches over her softly humming refrigerator and scours through bottles before finally yanking out an orange juice. — Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 But even humming can conjure feelings, mostly because Austin is among a select few who possess profound memories of the icon behind the music. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 Meanwhile, this column just keeps humming along day after day. — Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Seemingly hampered by a back injury earlier this season, Clark appears to be humming, now putting up historic numbers and career-high marks. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for humming

Adjective

Still, a supportive connection between the moon, Neptune and Pluto retrograde adds a deeper undercurrent to all the buzzing and socializing.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Tucked away in a private backyard in Ashford, one of the state’s few apitherapy huts allows people to breathe in air from thousands of buzzing bees.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of buzzing

Verb

Morgan Stanley shrugged off the bubble-bursting concerns, with its Global Investment Committee reiterating a year-end S&P 500 target of 8,000 and a mid-2027 target of 8,300—bullish territory, not a bust.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
For a child bursting with energy, few things are more fun than hurtling through a bouncy castle, launching into the air, and ping-ponging between every surface.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of bursting

Verb

Neutrinos, which are produced in the sun as well as other astrophysical sources and are constantly zipping through the Earth, are notoriously difficult to measure.

— Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026
Facing second-and-4 in the second quarter, Browning took a shotgun snap, and Anudike-Uzomah was there in an instant, zipping by Tampa Bay third-string tackle Marshall Fournier for a free shot on Browning.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of zipping

Adjective

Alex Steen’s first summer in the big chair was busy, but everything mostly made sense.

— Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Amenities and experiences Harmon Guest House smartly devotes most of its real estate to guest rooms, allowing for maximum comfort in a busy area.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of busy

Verb

Pattinson, for his part, could not stop running his hand through his hair and whispering excitedly to his nearby partner, Suki Waterhouse.

— Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Sep. 2026
The defendant and his attorney, Michael Sanft, wrap arms around one another, whispering a few final thoughts before the moment of judgment.

— Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of whispering

Adjective

But this wasn’t nearly enough for Joy Division’s rabid fanbase, and there’s been a thriving black market for bootleg concert recordings for decades, even though the sound quality of most of the tapes varies from half-decent to borderline inaudible.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
The shocking ruins of what was once a thriving population center attest to a brutal military campaign to liberate the ancient city from IS.

— Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of thriving

Verb

Inside one of American Royal’s vast new barns, the smell of fresh paint still lingers as the hum of whirring drills and construction equipment fills the space just over 15 days until its first event on the new campus.

— Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Visually, the entire set was stunning, with fast cuts of Nancy Whang pounding on her keyboard, Al Doyle whirring his synthesizer, and Murphy shouting into his microphone, wrapped around his arm.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of whirring

Adjective

Within an hour, the somber commemoration by the sea turned into a vibrant two-day intertribal powwow.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Perfect for dining table centerpieces, entryway consoles, kitchen islands, and bathroom displays, these vibrant artificial eucalyptus stems come ready in a chic glass vessel for on-the-fly decorating.

— Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of vibrant

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hummers

humming

hummock

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Style

“Humming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humming. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of humming

adjective

verb

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