hummed; humming
1
a
: to utter a sound like that of the speech sound \m\ prolonged
humming along with the music
b
: to make the natural noise of an insect in motion or a similar sound : drone
listening to the bees hum in the garden
c
: to give forth a low continuous blend of sound
the sound of children's voices with which the house was always humming—
J. M. Brinnin
J. M. Brinnin2
a
: to be busily active
the museum hummed with visitors
b
: to run smoothly
the business started to hum
1
: to sing with the lips closed and without uttering speech sounds distinctly
hum a tune
2
: to express by making a vocal sound with the lips pressed together : to affect by humming
hummed his displeasure
hum
noun
hum
2 of 2chiefly British spelling of hem entry 3, hem entry 4
Examples of hum in a Sentence
Verb
The garden was humming with bees.
The refrigerator hummed in the background.
I was humming to myself.
We hummed along to the music.
I hummed a little song.
By noon, the office was really humming.
The restaurant hums on weekends.
Recent Examples on the Web
Emma Alpern, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Joe Raedle/Getty Images For more than a century, the U.S. and Canada have sold each other electricity through power lines that criss-cross the border, an arrangement that has historically hummed along thanks to the warm relationship between the two countries.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 12 Mar. 2025
The public wants the economy humming, the border secure, and an end to woke lunacy — not tariffs and irrelevant indulgences.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 11 Mar. 2025
With the skyline bathed in gold, the rooftops glowing, and the city’s energy humming below, this is surely one of the world’s best spots for a Negroni.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
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.
Verb
There’s absolutely no reason constraints ought to hum.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
Joe Raedle/Getty Images For more than a century, the U.S. and Canada have sold each other electricity through power lines that criss-cross the border, an arrangement that has historically hummed along thanks to the warm relationship between the two countries.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 12 Mar. 2025
The public wants the economy humming, the border secure, and an end to woke lunacy — not tariffs and irrelevant indulgences.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 11 Mar. 2025
With the skyline bathed in gold, the rooftops glowing, and the city’s energy humming below, this is surely one of the world’s best spots for a Negroni.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hum
Cite this Entry
“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hum. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hum
noun
: a sound like that made by humming
especially
: venous hum
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share