hummed; humming

intransitive verb

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
2
a
: to be busily active
the museum hummed with visitors
b
: to run smoothly
the business started to hum

transitive verb

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 2

chiefly 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Their voices hum together and, in those moments, Mazzoli’s music is both beautiful and disturbing. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 Near the entrance of the building's nave, a triptych of towering black computer servers are humming loudly. Emma Bowman, NPR, 23 Mar. 2025 Steady demand kept the economy humming for the last few years even amid recession predictions. Courtenay Brown, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025 The room was still humming with energy when Lot 18, Andy Warhol’s Camouflage (1986-7), sold for its high estimate of £2.5 million. George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hum

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English hummen; akin to Middle High German hummen to hum, Middle Dutch hommel bumblebee

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hum was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hum. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

hum

verb
ˈhəm
hummed; humming
1
a
: to utter a continuous \m\ sound
b
: to make the natural buzzing sound of an insect in motion or a sound like it : drone
c
: to give forth a low continuous blend of sound
2
: to produce musical tones while keeping the lips closed
3
: to be busily active
the place was humming
hum noun
hummer noun

Medical Definition

: a sound like that made by humming
especially : venous hum

More from Merriam-Webster on hum

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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