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Synonyms

percussive

American  
[per-kuhs-iv] / pərˈkʌs ɪv /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characterized by percussion.

percussive British  
/ pəˈkʌsɪv /

adjective

  1. of, caused by, or relating to percussion

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonpercussive adjective
  • percussively adverb
  • percussiveness noun
  • unpercussive adjective

Etymology

Origin of percussive

First recorded in 1785–95; percuss(ion) + -ive

Vocabulary lists containing percussive

Dance - Middle School and High School

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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.

Its closing track, a harmonically suspended instrumental titled “The Brazilian,” flirted with the avant-garde by repeating the same anti-melody, anchored on a jungle of percussive clangs and hyperkinetic Simmons drum rolls.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

On his own website, Zayn describes konnakol as "the act of creating percussive sounds with one's voice".

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

The music is urgent and highly percussive with small drums, and Mr. Ross’s vibes create alluring propulsion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

Schifrin was known for his unique percussive and jazzy style during a career that spanned more than six decades, with over 100 film and TV soundtracks to his name.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

Retiring to my tent at night, I was serenaded by a madrigal of creaks and percussive cracks, a reminder that I was lying on a moving river of ice.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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.