verb
hum
HUHM
verb
1
To sing a tune with your lips closed, without forming words.
"She hummed a lullaby as she rocked the baby to sleep."
"He hummed along to the radio while driving."
2
To make a low, steady, continuous sound.
"The refrigerator hummed quietly in the kitchen."
"Bees hummed lazily around the flowerbed."
noun
1
A low, steady, continuous sound.
"The hum of the air conditioner made it hard to sleep."
"She could hear the distant hum of traffic outside."
How to Use Hum
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA low continuous sound, or making that sound — either by singing without words or from a machine, insect, etc.
Common pairings
hum a tune
the hum of machinery
a low hum
Word Forms
hummed past tense, hums plural, hums singular
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The _____ of the air conditioner made it hard to sleep.
Etymology
From Middle English hummen, an imitative word describing the buzzing or droning sound itself.