buzzing

Pluralbuzzings

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   A low, continuous humming or droning sound, like that made by a flying insect or a vibrating machine.

   A steady buzzing rose from the hive as the workers returned at dusk.

   The fluorescent lights filled the empty office with a faint electrical buzzing.

   Similarhum, humming, drone, whirring, whine

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of buzz.

   Mosquitoes were buzzing around our heads as the sun went down.

   The old refrigerator was buzzing loudly in the corner of the kitchen.

   Note

   The -ing form does verb work in two places: after be in the progressive (mosquitoes were buzzing) or at the head of a participle phrase. Most uses take no object. A hive, a roomful of excited talkers and a busy, keyed-up person all simply buzz. There is also a transitive use, in which buzzing a report about means spreading it in whispers. It is a cousin of the murmuring Latimer complained of under the verbal noun.

3. 3
   noununcountable

   Gerund of buzz.

   Buzzing is one way bees signal danger to the rest of the hive.

   The continuous buzzing of the swarm grew louder as we approached.

   Note

   The verbal noun names the activity rather than the noise it leaves behind. It takes a plural, buzzings, so it can count separate bouts as well as name the activity in general. Hugh Latimer complained in 1549 of "hussyng & bussyng in the preachers eare" during sermons. That was the whispering kind of buzz, and it was enough to make the preacher forget his matter. When the sound itself is meant, the noun for the noise fits better.

4. 4
   adjectiveslangUK

   Feeling very happy and full of joyful excitement.

   The whole team was buzzing after the final whistle.

   He came home buzzing from the concert and couldn't stop talking about it.

   Similarelated, thrilled, ecstatic, euphoric, stoked

   Oppositedeflated, gutted, dejected, downcast

   Note

   British slang for elation, and it sits after its verb: you are buzzing, or you feel buzzing. It attracts intensifiers like totally buzzing and absolutely buzzing. It is at home in lively dialogue and post-match talk, as when Jack Grealish, quoted in 2023 after a Manchester City win, said he felt buzzing. Keep it to casual speech and writing, because in formal prose it may be heard as a noise rather than a mood.

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