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

“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

These days, with Athletic Club hitting the right notes in Europe and La Liga, the thrum of the traditional horn usually precedes a carnival atmosphere at San Mames.

From BBC ● May 1, 2025

And if he does, the country may not thrum for months with dissent and democratic fervor, as it did in 2016 and 2017.

From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2024

I’ve seen my parents be moved by the beat at countless concerts, thrum on the steering wheel-air drums, and rock out in our kitchen while making dinner my entire life.

From Salon ● May 27, 2024

Thousands of tiny drops thrum onto the roof.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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

At this summer’s performance at the Teragram Ballroom, Sullivan’s two feet and tap board thrummed along with Goldings’ Hammond B3 organ and extremities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023

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

As music thrummed in the background, guests congregated around the shiny orbs, which looked like a cross between a giant eight ball and HAL 9000, the rogue computer in “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

It thrummed in my eardrums, I could feel the vibrations in my own body.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Beyond kohl-lined eyes and miniskirts, “you have this really sort of buzzy, thrumming cultural setting,” she says, citing the Civil Rights Movement, space exploration and the Vietnam War.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

The writer drew on his own youth in this story thrumming with music, memory and the chaos of the holidays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025

But the sense of squandered opportunity is only heightened when you get to Don't Look Down - which marries a Bansuri flute motif to a thrumming trance beat.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025

She’s always seeking her father, not just in Skinner the soldier but in herself too, the remnants of his presence thrumming through her memory.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2025

The cables thrumming beneath the pavement struck a minor chord of suspense, and held it.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

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