hum

Meaning

Noun

1. A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed.
2. An often indistinct sound resembling human humming.
3. Busy activity, like the buzz of a beehive.
4. (UK, slang) Unpleasant odour.
5. (dated) An imposition or hoax; humbug.
6. (obsolete) A kind of strong drink.
7. A phenomenon, or collection of phenomena, involving widespread reports of a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To make a sound from the vocal cords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed.
2. (transitive) To express by humming.
3. (intransitive) To drone like certain insects naturally do in motion, or sounding similarly.
4. (intransitive) To buzz, be busily active like a beehive
5. (intransitive) To produce low sounds which blend continuously
6. (British, slang) To reek, smell bad.
7. (UK, dated, slang, transitive) To flatter by approving; to cajole; to deceive or impose upon; to humbug.

Intj

1. Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c.
2. Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c.

Synonyms

buzz

drone

murmur

whirr

purr

roar

whir

humming

sound

🔉

moan

sing

hiss

zoom

croon

howl

rumble

whistle

buzzing

whizz

coo

sound of voices

warble

talk

🗣️

chant

groan

boom

💥

growl

disturbance

hubbub

whiz

commotion

mutter

busyness

whisper

mumble

sough

thrum

seethe

uproar

low

intone

infest

cry

😢

humbug

rankness

purl

hoax

burble

pong

mutters

Translations

summen

bourdonner

ronzare

fredonner

cantarolar

brommen

zumbar

gonzen

vrombir

snorren

razen

😡

Summen

zumbir

brummen

zoemen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhʌm/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: hummen

Cognate with Dutch: hommelen

Cognate with Dutch: hommen

Cognate with Middle High German: hummen

In summary

From Middle English hummen (“to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to cover embarrassment”); akin to Dutch hommelen (“to bumble, buzz”), dialectal Dutch hommen (“to buzz, hum”), Middle High German hummen (“to hum”), probably ultimately of imitative origin.