hum
Third Person
hums
Present Participle
humming
Past Tense
hummed
Past Participle
hummed
1
to sing a tune with closed lips
- She liked to hum while she worked, finding it helped her concentrate.
- He hummed as he walked down the street.
- The children hummed together to create a soothing melody.
- During the power outage, they hummed to pass the time until the lights came back on.
- She hummed softly to herself while waiting for the bus.
2
to make a low, continuous, and steady sound
- The cicadas hummed in the trees, creating a background melody.
- The refrigerator hummed softly in the kitchen.
- The crickets hummed in the warm summer evening.
- The car engine hummed as it idled in the driveway.
- The generator hummed in the background, supplying power during the outage.
3
to be filled with a continuous, low noise
- The room hummed with the sound of the air conditioning unit.
- The library hummed with the quiet murmur of students studying.
- The electronics store hummed with the sounds of various gadgets and devices.
- The city at night hummed with the sound of nightlife and distant sirens.
Synonyms:
4
to be busy or engaged in a lot of activity or work
- The kitchen hummed with the sounds of pots and pans as dinner was being prepared.
- The city seemed to hum with excitement during the annual festival.
- As the construction project progressed, the site hummed with workers and machinery.
- The office was humming with activity as everyone prepared for the big presentation.
- The café hummed with conversation and laughter throughout the afternoon.
5
to emit a strong, unpleasant odor
- His gym bag started to hum after a week in the car.
- The trash was humming so bad we had to take it out immediately.
- After the long hike, his socks were really humming.
- That old fridge hums worse than a dumpster in the summer.
- You might want to shower—you’re starting to hum.