droning

verb

present participle of drone
1
as in humming
to fly, turn, or move rapidly with a fluttering or vibratory sound the sound of droning bees all around us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in idling
to spend time doing nothing instead of getting a job, he preferred to drone and live off his parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of droning His robust, under-appreciated score is composed with droning synthesizer undercurrents, old-fashioned action adventure fanfares, and intense rapid-fire tracks punctuated by brass exclamations and roaring percussion. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 July 2026 The mics do a good job of cutting out droning background noise. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 8 July 2026 Usually, the town’s namesake island, far down in downstate Illinois, is quiet enough to hear the hum of the barges droning along the Mississippi River. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 The sound of tattoo machines droning at different pitches filled the air at the fifth annual Capitol City Classic tattoo convention, on Saturday afternoon, the second day of its three-day run. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026 Instead, there’s a surplus of annoying, droning noise. — Luke Cyphers, Sportico.com, 11 June 2026 There’s no sound more evocative of summer than that of an old-school ice cream maker’s motor droning its monotonous naaaaaaaa with the backbeat of gas station ice and rock salt grinding and shifting against the spinning ice cream cannister. — Josh Miller, Southern Living, 31 May 2026 Here, a morning coffee on the sea-view private sun terrace comes complete with diving swifts and droning dragonflies, not to mention the sound of pulling tides. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026 The constant, incessant, droning sounds in between each pitch that blare from the sound system are manufactured slop, screeching ‘NEW YORKKKKKKKK! — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for droning
  1. humming
  2. idling
  3. buzzing
  4. chilling
  5. lounging
  6. playing
  7. dawdling
  8. loafing
Verb
  • Dreamy interludes pad the space between tracks with humming synths and strings; sometimes songs dissolve into floating mood pieces, anchored by a drone or loop.
    — Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The insects protect their queen, collecting in a roiling, humming mass on his hand.
    — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of humming
Verb
  • Rasmussen in 1978 was idling in traffic on Connecticut’s Interstate 84 after acquiring a satellite transponder from RCA, and decided to launch a new network devoted only to sports on a single acre near the small town of Bristol.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
  • A couple blocks away there are at least nine police cars, parked, idling.
    — Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of idling
Verb
  • The lodge is usually buzzing with guests playing card games, enjoying daily happy hour, or sitting by the roaring fireplace.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • District Superintendent Monica Schroeder noted the various technologies and advancements at the school, including even the lights — the days of bright, buzzing overhead lights are over, with lights that can be dimmed.
    — Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of buzzing
Verb
  • Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was seen over the weekend chilling on the field with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Olivia Ponton after practice.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • If the dough is still too sticky after chilling, mix in a small amount of flour, lightly dust your hands and work surface with flour, or pipe the dough instead of rolling or shaping it by hand, David suggests.
    — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of chilling
Verb
  • With a sizable beam of 45 feet, Whisper offers ample space for both lounging and entertaining across five decks.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In an Instagram carousel posted on Saturday, May 15, the actress, 53, shared a sweet snap of herself and her lookalike daughter, 22, lounging in coordinating swimsuits.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of lounging
Verb
  • Janssens would be one of those defenders playing in front of Suzuki in a new environment.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Manchester City’s defence was wide open in Sunday’s Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and that could be a sign of things to come now that Rodri is playing for Barcelona in La Liga.
    — Graham Ruthven, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of playing
Verb
  • Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
Definition of dawdling
Verb
  • Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
  • The pair had been loafing for some time among a grove of apple trees on a private residence in Payson.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of loafing

Browse Nearby Words

drones
droning
drool
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Cite this Entry

“Droning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/droning. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of droning for Spanish Speakers

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