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.
Computers and drum machines are used for nearly all the percussive elements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Festivalgoers were spilling out of the tent to catch a glimpse of their percussive, high energy performance that straddles the line between jazz, funk, reggae and carnival.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
On his own website, Zayn describes konnakol as "the act of creating percussive sounds with one's voice".
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
He arrived in New York City in the early 1960s, and by the age of 20 drew attention to his plays, a riot of percussive energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
As she’s opening the top drawer of her dresser, a percussive thumping under her comforter turns into a tinny version of Daddy Yankee’s “Impacto.”
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
