buzz

[ buhz ]

/ bʌz /

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See synonyms for: buzz / buzzed / buzzing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a low, vibrating, humming sound, as of bees, machinery, or people talking.

Informal. a rumor or report: There's a buzz going around that he'll soon be fired.

Informal. a phone call: When I find out, I'll give you a buzz.

Slang.

a feeling of intense enthusiasm, interest, excitement, or exhilaration: I get a terrific buzz from those Pacific sunsets.Their ads are generating plenty of buzz.
a feeling of slight intoxication or overstimulation from liquor or drugs: Too much caffeine gives me a buzz.

buzzcut.

verb (used without object)

to make a low, vibrating, humming sound.

to speak or murmur with such a sound.

to be filled with the sound of buzzing or whispering: The room buzzed.

to whisper; gossip: Everyone is buzzing about the scandal.

to move busily from place to place.

Slang. to go; leave (usually followed by off or along): I'll buzz along now.Tell him to buzz off and leave me alone.

verb (used with object)

to make a buzzing sound with: The fly buzzed its wings.

to tell or spread (a rumor, gossip, etc.) secretively.

to signal or summon with a buzzer: He buzzed his assistant.

Informal. to make a phone call to.

Aeronautics.

to fly a plane very low over: to buzz a field.
to signal or greet (someone) by flying a plane low and slowing the motor spasmodically.

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Idioms about buzz

have / get a buzz on, Slang. to be slightly intoxicated: After a few beers they all had a buzz on.

Origin of buzz

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English busse; imitative

OTHER WORDS FROM buzz

buzz·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use buzz in a sentence

That’s generated yet another round of buzz about whether Faulconer will act on the tweets and challenge Newsom directly in a race for governor.
Sacramento Report: Police Groups Want to Set the Terms of Police Reform|Sara Libby|November 20, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Her record-setting run, meanwhile, had generated plenty of buzz.
Seeking the Fastest Shoe in the Post-Vaporfly Era|Alex Hutchinson|November 17, 2020|Outside Online
That launch led to a lot of buzz among merchants that Shopify may eventually turn the Shop app to a marketplace, now that it has a property that millions of shoppers are now actively using.
As its ecosystem grows, companies are becoming reliant on Shopify for more parts of their business|Anna Hensel|November 13, 2020|Digiday
“When a new app or internet service begins to generate buzz and subscribers — say Instagram or Whatsapp — it gets bought up by Facebook and Google,” Yost said.
FTC Chair issues antitrust warning as Facebook awaits decision|Verne Kopytoff|November 12, 2020|Fortune

With one chemical activating the reward response and the other activating the fight-or-flight response, the telltale nicotine buzz is created.
How the pandemic got people smoking again|Melinda Fakuade|November 12, 2020|Vox
In fact, she knew the correct answer 92 percent of the time she buzzed in during her 20-game streak.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had buzzed around the wiki flower for a while, and then pollinated the free-encyclopedia flower.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her book, for example, does not discuss her buzzed-about, scantily clad Maxim photo shoot from last year, and so neither do we.
'Boy Meets World' Star Danielle Fishel Is OK with Being Topanga Forever|Kevin Fallon|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So when it was revealed he would instead be showing in New York, it quickly became one of the most buzzed-about shows of the week.
Gareth Pugh's Fashion Show Lacked Fashion, But Not Passion|Justin Jones|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Black plastic sunglasses rest atop his buzzed hair, above a tanned face with sharp features.
A Shooting on a Tribal Land Uncovers Feds Running Wild|Caitlin Dickson|August 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such a "bee" as that was had never before buzzed on that mountain, even though this was by no means the first one known there.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
The flies buzzed in and out, and the window curtains moved gently in the breeze.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
The gardens of the Golden Shell buzzed with the clatter and hum of a thousand busy squires.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
A dozen squires and grooms buzzed around the Spaniard, making to lift him from his horse.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
In his eagerness to see everything that was happening, Buster buzzed very close to a good many people.
The Tale of Buster Bumblebee|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for buzz

buzz

/ (bʌz) /

noun

a rapidly vibrating humming sound, as that of a prolonged z or of a bee in flight

a low sound, as of many voices in conversation

a rumour; report; gossip

informal a telephone callI'll give you a buzz

slang

a pleasant sensation, as from a drug such as cannabis
a sense of excitement; kick

verb

(intr) to make a vibrating sound like that of a prolonged z

(intr) to talk or gossip with an air of excitement or urgencythe town buzzed with the news

(tr) to utter or spread (a rumour)

(intr often foll by about) to move around quickly and busily; bustle

(tr) to signal or summon with a buzzer

(tr) informal to call by telephone

(tr) informal

to fly an aircraft very low over (an object)to buzz a ship
to fly an aircraft very close to or across the path of (another aircraft), esp to warn or intimidate

(tr) (esp of insects) to make a buzzing sound with (wings, etc)

Derived forms of buzz

buzzing, noun, adjective

Word Origin for buzz

C16: of imitative origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

buzz

Idioms about buzz

Origin of buzz

OTHER WORDS FROM buzz

Words related to buzz

How to use buzz in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for buzz

Derived forms of buzz

Word Origin for buzz