percussive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of percussive
First recorded in 1785–95; percuss(ion) + -ive
Vocabulary lists containing percussive
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.
She recorded the new album with the same team — the hit-making writer-producers Ilya Salmanzadeh and Max Martin — but here they go for a murkier, more percussive sound to match Grande’s dark mood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Computers and drum machines are used for nearly all the percussive elements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
His use of vocal processing and the percussive clicks and subtle looping of Ms. Rodrigo’s voice give the arrangement a warm electronic tint.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
On his own website, Zayn describes konnakol as "the act of creating percussive sounds with one's voice".
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
But it is important to distinguish between the first pair and the second: one deals with space and place; the other with percussive force.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
