hum
verb/hʌm/
/hʌm/
Verb Forms
Idioms | present simple I / you / we / they hum | /hʌm/ /hʌm/ |
| he / she / it hums | /hʌmz/ /hʌmz/ |
| past simple hummed | /hʌmd/ /hʌmd/ |
| past participle hummed | /hʌmd/ /hʌmd/ |
| -ing form humming | /ˈhʌmɪŋ/ /ˈhʌmɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to sing a tune with your lips closed
- She was humming softly to herself.
- He began to hum along with the music.
- hum something What's that tune you're humming?
Collocations MusicMusicListening- listen to/enjoy/love/be into music/classical music/jazz/pop/hip-hop, etc.
- listen to the radio/an MP3 player/a CD
- put on/play a CD/a song/some music
- turn down/up the music/radio/volume/bass
- go to a concert/festival/gig/performance/recital
- copy/burn/rip music/a CD/a DVD
- download/stream music/an album/a song/a video/a playlist
- play a musical instrument/the piano/percussion/a note/a riff/the melody/a concerto/a duet/by ear
- sing an anthem/a ballad/a solo/an aria/the blues/in a choir/soprano/alto/tenor/bass/out of tune
- hum a tune/a theme tune/a lullaby
- accompany a singer/choir
- strum a chord/guitar
- form/start/get together/join/quit/leave a band
- give a performance/concert/recital
- do a concert/recital/gig
- play a concert/gig/festival/venue
- perform (British English) at/in a concert/(especially North American English) a concert
- appear at a festival/live
- go on/embark on a (world) tour
- write/compose music/a ballad/a melody/a tune/a song/a theme song/an opera/a symphony
- land/get/sign a record deal
- be signed to/be dropped by a record company
- record/release/put out an album/a single/a CD
- be top of/top the charts
- get to/go straight to/go straight in at/enter the charts at number one
Extra ExamplesTopics Musicc1- He began to hum, somewhat tunelessly.
- I was humming along with the music.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- quietly
- softly
- loudly
- …
- begin to
- hum to yourself
- [intransitive] to make a low continuous sound
- The computers were humming away.
- The overhead wires hummed with power.
- [intransitive] to be full of activity
- The streets were beginning to hum with life.
- The whole room was humming now.
- Things were beginning to hum.
Word Originlate Middle English: imitative.
Idioms
See hum in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionaryhum and haw (British English)
(North American English hem and haw)
- (informal) to take a long time to make a decision or before you say something
- We hummed and hawed for weeks before deciding to buy the house.
Check pronunciation:
hum