percussive
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nonpercussive adjective
- percussively adverb
- percussiveness noun
- unpercussive adjective
Etymology
Origin of percussive
First recorded in 1785–95; percuss(ion) + -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On his own website, Zayn describes konnakol as "the act of creating percussive sounds with one's voice".
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026
“I think the jazz drumming thing is new to the game,” Lievsay says of the percussive element that grows in prominence as the fights’ stakes increase.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025
By the third song, Sit Down, Stand Up, they're flexing their musical muscles, with an extended outro of percussive lunacy, aided by US session musician Chris Vatalaro.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025
The music is urgent and highly percussive with small drums, and Mr. Ross’s vibes create alluring propulsion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025
Abruptly, the quiet is shattered by the percussive racket of the helicopter, which spirals down from the clouds and lands in a patch of fireweed.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
