croon
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to sing (a song) in a crooning manner.
-
to lull by singing or humming to in a soft, soothing voice.
to croon a child to sleep.
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of croon
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cronen, from Middle Dutch: “to lament”
Explanation
To croon is to sing a soft or emotional song. A father might croon a lullaby to his baby as she falls asleep. Elvis Presley was known to croon to the ladies. The verb croon is originally a Scottish word, from the Middle Dutch root kronen, "to lament or mourn." When you croon, you hum or sing in a soft, low voice, like your heart is breaking. You might croon to your child or sweetheart, or maybe you croon in the shower. In the 1930s and 40s, a "crooner" was a singer who was known for specializing in sentimental jazz songs.
Vocabulary lists containing croon
"The People Could Fly," Vocabulary from the folk tale
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The Devil's Arithmetic
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"The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes
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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.
Croon determined the location by looking at land records in Houston.
From Washington Times • May 28, 2018
Croon speculates in a footnote that LeRoy said “I am perhaps dying,” or something along those lines, and his mother could not finish it.
From Washington Times • May 28, 2018
Janet Croon, a retired history teacher who lives in Virginia, transcribed the diary using the online copies of the original seven volumes in the Library of Congress.
From Washington Times • May 28, 2018
FBI spokesman Garrett Croon confirmed to the Tribune the bureau has been investigating the shooting but would not comment further, and it remained unclear why the case remained open after so much time.
From The Guardian • Jan. 9, 2016
Croon, a continuous murmuring sort of musical sound or song.
From A Reading Book in Irish History by Joyce, P. W.
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.
