humming

humming — verb

  • hummingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • hummings3rd person singular
  • humminging-ing form
  • hummingedpast simple

1. to make a low, steady musical sound with your lips pressed together, especially

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to make a low, steady musical sound with your lips pressed together, especially a simple tune; or for a machine, engine, or insect to produce such a continuous low sound.

例句

Yael was humming a song while washing the dishes after dinner.

hum + object (song) + while + activity

The old refrigerator hummed loudly in the corner of the kitchen.

intransitive: machine noise

同義詞
  • buzz

    higher-pitched sound, used especially for insects and small machines

  • drone

    deeper, more monotonous sound, often for engines or machinery

  • croon

    gentle, soft singing by a person, sometimes with a few words mixed in

反義詞
  • shout

    loud, open-mouthed vocal sound — the opposite of humming

  • silence

    absence of sound

文法句型

hum + object (a tune / a song)

hum + (no object) for machines or insects

用法筆記

Commonly used in continuous tenses (was humming, is humming). When the subject is a person, an object such as a tune or song is often present; when the subject is a machine or insect, the verb is typically intransitive.

常見錯誤

❌She sang with her lips closed.
✅She hummed with her lips closed.
💡'sing' requires opening your mouth to form words; 'hum' means making sound with lips pressed together.
❌The bees were singing around the flowers.
✅The bees were humming around the flowers.
💡'hum' describes the low, steady sound of insects; 'sing' is used for birds or people.