thrum

¹ American  

[thruhm] / θrʌm /

verb (used without object)

thrummed, thrumming

1. to play on a stringed instrument, as a guitar, by plucking the strings, especially in an idle, monotonous, or unskillful manner; strum.

2. to sound when thrummed on, as a guitar or similar stringed instrument.

3. to drum or tap idly with the fingers.

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verb (used with object)

thrummed, thrumming

1. to play (a stringed instrument, or a melody on it) by plucking the strings, especially in an idle, monotonous, or unskillful manner; strum.

2. to drum or tap idly on.

3. to recite or tell in a monotonous way.

noun

1. an act or sound of thrumming; dull, monotonous sound.

thrum ² American  

[thruhm] / θrʌm /

noun

1. one of the ends of the warp threads in a loom, left unwoven and remaining attached to the loom when the web is cut off.

2. thrums, the row or fringe of such threads.

3. any short piece of waste thread or yarn; tuft, tassel, or fringe of threads, as at the edge of a piece of cloth.

4. Nautical. Often thrums short bits of rope yarn used for making mats.

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verb (used with object)

thrummed, thrumming

1. Nautical. to insert short pieces of rope yarn through (canvas) and thus give it a rough surface, as for wrapping about a part to prevent chafing.

2. to furnish or cover with thrums, ends of thread, or tufts.

thrum ¹ British  

/ θrʌm /

noun

1. 1. any of the unwoven ends of warp thread remaining on the loom when the web has been removed

   2. such ends of thread collectively

2. a fringe or tassel of short unwoven threads

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verb

1. (tr) to trim with thrums

thrum ² British  

/ θrʌm /

verb

1. to strum rhythmically but without expression on (a musical instrument)

2. (intr) to drum incessantly

   rain thrummed on the roof

3. to repeat (something) monotonously

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noun

1. a repetitive strumming or recitation

Other Word Forms

• thrummer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of thrum¹

First recorded in 1545–55; imitative

Origin of thrum²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun thrum, thrum(m)e, “end-piece (from the warp of a loom)”, Old English -thrum (in tungethrum “ligament of the tongue”), cognate with Old High German drum “end-piece”; akin to Old Norse thrǫmr “brim, edge, verge,” Latin terminus, Greek térma “end”

Explanation

When you make a rhythmic strumming sound, either with your voice or a stringed instrument, you thrum. If you and your friends all play the guitar, it may be fun sometimes to sit around and thrum together, improvising tunes. This word can also be used as a noun, to describe the kind of melodic hum that guitar strings make when you strum them. So you might say you found your way back to the campsite by following the thrum of your mom's mandolin, or that you love the thrum of rain on the metal roof of your grandparents' house. Thrum, like strum and hum, is imitative, mimicking the sound it describes.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thrum thrummed thrumming

Critics fear deep-sea mining will cause irreversible damage, smothering marine life in plumes of waste and disrupting oceanic migrations with the thrum of heavy machinery.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Geopolitical gyrations, volatile short-term economic data and the incessant thrum of prediction markets all contribute to the cacophony,” to the point that many investors feel compelled to stick to the AI trade, she says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

You get a polite dotting of fruit, sure, but rarely that jammy, tart little thrum that only arrives when berries are given permission to fully collapse into themselves.

From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025

With five pairs of steel strings, the aggressive guitar is responsible for following the requinto and enhancing the melody with its metallic thrum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2024

Had I decided to believe her, her pronouncement would have toppled my confidence all over again, reviving the old thrum of not enough, not enough.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

For decades, the city thrummed thanks to the burgeoning tech industry and became a plush playground for its ever-increasing number of workers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025

Throughout it all, the perils of climate change, poverty and inequality have steadily, increasingly thrummed through each convening of world leaders at the U.N.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2023

Her knees ached, and her back thrummed with pain.

From New York Times ● Jul. 19, 2023

By the 1980s, much of downtown was moribund; buildings that once thrummed with commerce were dilapidated and vacant or underused.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2023

I told myself to stay calm, but my heart thrummed like a drum machine.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

Yet “I Must Be Dreaming” reveals a group still thrumming with creative purpose.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

And if you hear trembling violins and thrumming cellos, you might lapse into a vision of storm-whipped waves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

The glitchy breakbeats and thrumming basslines of Ambiguous Desire are a major shift for the singer-songwriter - but they always feel authentic.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2026

In the 1970s, Black Sabbath prioritized gouging grooves, thrumming basslines and ponderous drums; they treated their albums like cohesive sonic statements.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2025

From somewhere in the fog came a deep thrumming noise, like the idling engine of a large construction vehicle.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• croon
• moan
• mumble
• murmur
• purr
• sing
• strum
• throb
• trill
• warble
• whisper