percussive

[ per-kuhs-iv ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by percussion.

Other Words From

• per·cussive·ly adverb
• per·cussive·ness noun
• nonper·cussive adjective
• unper·cussive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of percussive¹

First recorded in 1785–95; percuss(ion) + -ive

Example Sentences

The instrument is mostly used in nonmelodic ways, either playing that jazzy walking bass motif, insistently hitting the same high note for a percussive effect or plunking discordant chords to convey darkness from the past.

From Los Angeles Times

By contrast, Clog Step is a dance style with percussive footwork and fine timing.

From BBC

After “Dog Eat Dog,” a dreamy yet percussive soft-rock song about “snakebite evangelists and racketeers and bigwig financiers,” Mitchell said she wished she could vote in the upcoming presidential election.

From Los Angeles Times

Originating in southern Mexico, this upright bass is all about the slap — a raw, percussive sound created when the string hits the fretboard.

From Los Angeles Times

But every night, no matter the circumstances, the percussive sounds of rumba filled her childhood home.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aghast
• appalled
• astonished
• dismayed
• frightened