as in purrs
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in zips
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound
a helicopter hummed overhead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hums
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Yet something more complicated hums beneath the surface.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
If the motor hums loudly or constantly, check whether the ductwork is damaged.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2025
Back at its Utah HQ, where the walls are lined with pink Crumbl University diplomas and the test kitchen hums with invention, the next big flavor is already in the oven.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
The city, 60 kilometres from the frontlines, hums with school bells, playgrounds echo with sports practice and friends laugh and play in the streets.
—Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
But if hotel noises, traffic rumbles, or plane hums keep you from getting some shut-eye, this compact sound machine may become your best travel companion.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Schumann Resonance Time Acceleration Schumann resonances are natural, low-frequency electromagnetic hums that form in the cavity between Earth’s surface and the ionosphere (50-600 miles above the surface).
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The city pulses with ambition—as Education City hums with global ideas, and Katara hosts opera under the stars.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Thania Garcia, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, OneCoin still hums along and continues to attract investors.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
But locals embrace the town’s remoteness, enjoying the alpine trails that begin right off Main Street, the legendary ski terrain, and a downtown that hums with old mining town charm.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025
For example, from the front porch of a nearby house, wind turbines don't typically sound louder than a household refrigerator, which hums at around 55 dBA.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
Inside, the place hums with character.
—Abby Price, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
The machinery of violence here hums louder each week.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
The porch smells faintly of lime and ginger, and the house hums the way houses do when a good conversation has just ended.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The sound of K-pop also hums through the other magical elements of the film, especially HUNTR/X’s weapons and the strange familiars that Rumi and Ji-noo (Ahn Hyo-seop) use to communicate with each other across enemy lines.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
As Jarcovjáková travels from the former Czechoslovakia to Japan and West Berlin, navigating rejection and the lives of various lovers, the murmurs of voices, quiet footsteps and hums of crowded rooms accompany her striking black-and-white photography.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Yet something more complicated hums beneath the surface.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
If the motor hums loudly or constantly, check whether the ductwork is damaged.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2025
Back at its Utah HQ, where the walls are lined with pink Crumbl University diplomas and the test kitchen hums with invention, the next big flavor is already in the oven.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
The city, 60 kilometres from the frontlines, hums with school bells, playgrounds echo with sports practice and friends laugh and play in the streets.
—Sonal Nain, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
But if hotel noises, traffic rumbles, or plane hums keep you from getting some shut-eye, this compact sound machine may become your best travel companion.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Schumann Resonance Time Acceleration Schumann resonances are natural, low-frequency electromagnetic hums that form in the cavity between Earth’s surface and the ionosphere (50-600 miles above the surface).
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The city pulses with ambition—as Education City hums with global ideas, and Katara hosts opera under the stars.
—Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
The lights are low and the room hums with stillness.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, OneCoin still hums along and continues to attract investors.
—Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
But locals embrace the town’s remoteness, enjoying the alpine trails that begin right off Main Street, the legendary ski terrain, and a downtown that hums with old mining town charm.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025
For example, from the front porch of a nearby house, wind turbines don't typically sound louder than a household refrigerator, which hums at around 55 dBA.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
Inside, the place hums with character.
—Abby Price, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
The machinery of violence here hums louder each week.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
The porch smells faintly of lime and ginger, and the house hums the way houses do when a good conversation has just ended.
—Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The sound of K-pop also hums through the other magical elements of the film, especially HUNTR/X’s weapons and the strange familiars that Rumi and Ji-noo (Ahn Hyo-seop) use to communicate with each other across enemy lines.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hums
Noun
-
This has translated into freakishly unstable songs that spin from garish wubs and witch folk to lullaby-like purrs.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
-
But the other people who live nearby may not be so easily swayed by those adorable puppy dog eyes or precious purrs and might get very irritated.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
By day the Ultramar pool bar offers refreshing beverages and light fare while at night the place buzzes with energy and music.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Beetle buzzes by with tiny pumpkins perched on top, and Xuanwu, a ground robot carrying a drone, walks ominously in the background.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This could trigger everything from whispers and misunderstandings to grudges that resurface in the group chat.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The whispers of China’s rise have been ongoing since the Obama administration, but the power that was unintentionally ceded due to the actions taken by the first and second Trump administrations cannot be overlooked.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Once a cushioned conduit to the other side, the casket now bursts with the wisdom of a life lived outside the box.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Later, as the film plays, the crowd bursts intermittently into laughter, cracking up at the clown-car quality of everyone piling into the van for the first time.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hums.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hums. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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