as in hum
a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion
the steady thrum of the turbines in the power plant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of thrum
New York Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Olive Nwosu's debut feature radiates a restless, pulsing energy — both through the thrum of Lagos and the courage of its women.
—
Teresa Xie,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, his daytime trade as a geologist brought him from his home turf near Nashville to the Pacific Northwest, that rugged place whose seismic activity seems to thrum like the gears of a great subconscious.
—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thrum
Noun
Try sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s office and listening to the bland thrum of the music.
—
New York Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Olive Nwosu's debut feature radiates a restless, pulsing energy — both through the thrum of Lagos and the courage of its women.
—
Teresa Xie,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
By the afternoon, the same room thrummed with the clink of glasses and unhurried conversation.
—
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, his daytime trade as a geologist brought him from his home turf near Nashville to the Pacific Northwest, that rugged place whose seismic activity seems to thrum like the gears of a great subconscious.
—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thrum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrum
Noun
-
Usually, the town’s namesake island, far down in downstate Illinois, is quiet enough to hear the hum of the barges droning along the Mississippi River.
-
The background hum comes from X-ray emissions detected by Chandra.
Verb
-
This week's quiz highlights cruise controversies, wedding whispers — and much more.
-
Recalling a former boss who whispered intimate good-byes to his appliances when his restaurant closed, Luca says that the head chef didn’t receive similar farewells from his employees.
Noun
-
Wafting odors of 100-octane gasoline and rumbling purrs of V8 engines punched through the overcast morning at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday as the Velocity Invitational car meet entered its second day.
-
That detail has led researchers to wonder whether the purr is partly a self-healing mechanism, a body soothing itself from the inside out.
Verb
-
Then a hissing arrow pins a golden soccer ball to the Clash of Clans escutcheon.
-
There’s plenty of feline choreography, like crawling, meowing, and hissing.
Noun
-
Conor Kennedy Swift and Kennedy first ignited buzz about a romance at the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in July 2012.
-
Experts said brands everywhere are expected to scramble for a piece of the Swift wedding buzz, with many hoping to ride the cultural wave without ever being officially linked to the ceremony.
Verb
-
Or at least squeezed in a solid couch nap with baseball/golf/soccer/primo history programming murmuring in the background.
-
Yoon murmurs something into her ear.
Verb
-
Watching the hearing via Zoom from a prison holding room, Powell wiped his eyes and sighed heavily as Cribbs once again recited the facts of the case before Judge Rachelle Carnesale, explaining when Walton was fatally shot.
-
Pino’s supporters sighed and sniffled when the verdict was announced.
Verb
-
But something about the collective excitement of a reunion struck a chord, and the machine started whirring.
-
Inside, fans are whirring and a woman behind the cash register speaks on the phone in Korean.
Cite this Entry
“Thrum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrum. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
