humming

American  

[huhm-ing] / ˈhʌm ɪŋ /

adjective

1. making a droning sound; buzzing.

2. very busy; briskly active.

   a humming office.

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Other Word Forms

• hummingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of humming

First recorded in 1570–80; hum + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Punjabi music has always dominated the South Asian diaspora in the United States, on the television, humming from car stereos, mainly stayed inside those domestic spaces to private life that rarely entered into the mainstream.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

"It was as if a lot of planes were flying overhead, everything was humming and the glass in the windows shook."

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Even amid cataclysmic energy shocks and relentless spates of white-collar layoffs, the American economic engine appears to be humming along smoothly.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

For decades, liquefied natural gas acted as the global economy’s reliable escape valve during energy crises, keeping factories humming and homes warm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

She heard a strange humming in the distance.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer