humming

American  

[huhm-ing] / ˈhʌm ɪŋ /

adjective

1. making a droning sound; buzzing.

2. very busy; briskly active.

   a humming office.

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Other Word Forms

• hummingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of humming

First recorded in 1570–80; hum + -ing ²

Example Sentences

American investors were humming “Hail to the Chief” last January, with stocks up in the weeks before Inauguration Day.

From The Wall Street Journal

More owners are beginning to tap their equity, which could keep the U.S. economy humming a while longer.

From The Wall Street Journal

"He had always believed that memory behaved like a courteous guest - arriving when invited, leaving when ignored - but lately it had begun to loiter, hands in pockets, humming tunelessly in the corners of his mind."

From BBC

The neighbor I called Mr. Hummer from the third floor pushed past, and I recognized the song he was humming as “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.”

From Literature

Gilberg considered the question, hands clasped beneath his chin, the traffic outside humming expectantly.

From Los Angeles Times