HUMMING Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

humming 1 of 2

adjective

as in buzzing

marked by much life, movement, or activity the new science center is usually humming with school groups on Thursdays

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

humming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hum

as in bursting

to be copiously supplied one restaurant was humming with diners, while a neighboring eatery was practically empty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in zipping

to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound a helicopter hummed overhead

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 humming

Adjective

The Colts’ offense is absolutely humming. — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025

Verb

The offense has been humming with Williams under center, averaging 31 points per game in his three starts. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 Consider an administrative assistant who has spent a decade keeping a department humming along. — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 Once the fabrics and jewelry started coming in from the Chanel Patrimoine, the old alchemy started humming. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026 Filmed largely in natural daylight, the film drifts between still, unhurried, panning shots to evoke not only the spiritual energy that keeps the temples humming but also a world in slow, gradual decay. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026 So the investors, led by Hackman Capital Partners, Blackstone and Bain Capital, piled in to buy studio space, betting that the streaming boom and Wall Street’s collective shrug at profits would keep facilities humming. — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 Plus, San Francisco is humming offensively, both in the pass and running the ball. — Sam Jane, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 The company thinks its fully reusable Starship megarocket will be humming along by then, taking care of all its spaceflight needs. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026 People don’t want huge, ugly, ominously humming industrial infrastructure in their backyard. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 27 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for humming

Adjective

All the joy and buzzing activity arose from humble beginnings.

— Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Still, a supportive connection between the moon, Neptune and Pluto retrograde adds a deeper undercurrent to all the buzzing and socializing.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of buzzing

Verb

And every few months, a bursting FedEx envelope from Baltimore would appear at my desk at PRH containing Professor Dixon’s typewritten chunks of new and unpublished writing.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
People are herby, people are lemony, people are mustardy, bursting at the taste buds with umami.

— Raven Smith, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of bursting

Verb

This fully electric, ultra-compact quadricycle is designed for short urban trips—like zipping down to the shops in a golf cart, but more stylish—offering a simpler alternative to traditional cars.

— Lauryn Higgins, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Considering that the whiskers are only 200 mm long, this means that the drones cannot go zipping through unmapped terrain at high speeds.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of zipping

Verb

Testosterone replacement therapy prescriptions are climbing fast, and the men on them are no longer whispering about it.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2026
Social media companies are hesitant to allow promotion on their platforms, and Hollywood is whispering that the tech mogul’s power might keep the public from opportunities to see the film.

— Joel Mathis, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of whispering

Adjective

Rather than a sudden surge, the new estimate shows the population has always been strong, thriving, and secure.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
The result was a scramble to get on coveted allocation lists—and a thriving secondary market where the sky seemed to be the limit.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of thriving

Verb

Before the meeting started, an attendee asked a DEC employee by the sign-in table about the large industrial fans built into the gym’s walls, which were whirring noisily.

— Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
On a Wednesday night, the overhead lights are dimmed, the industrial fans are whirring and Chrishana Simon is gliding around the makeshift roller rink.

— Debbie Elliott, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of whirring

Adjective

Shoes also embraced a more playful and expressive spirit, with jewels, bows, flowers, bold prints and vibrant colors.

— Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
An intermediate version had more saturated, vibrant colors, but discussions with the director led to a more subdued final grade, closer to the original photography.

— Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of vibrant

Browse Nearby Words

hummers

humming

hummock

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Humming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/humming. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of humming

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes