percussive

adjective

per·​cus·​sive pər-ˈkə-siv How to pronounce percussive (audio)
1
: of or relating to percussion
especially : operative or operated by striking
2
: having powerful impact
percussively adverb
percussiveness noun

Examples of percussive in a Sentence

The song had a punchy, percussive rhythm.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The score from composer Tamar-kali strikes a balance between Shields’ transformative journey and the rhythmic and percussive nature of boxing through strings, percussion, modern electronic sounds, and brass. Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2024 Percussion came to mind with a fiddle blended in a percussive way, a horn section, and a tap dance blended into the score. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024 At the same time, Paesano provides his own melodic and percussive signature to the sci-fi adventure. Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2024 The muscles in your shoulders leading up to your neck, on the other hand, are fine to hit with a little percussive massage. Sara Coughlin, SELF, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for percussive 

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of percussive was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near percussive

Cite this Entry

“Percussive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/percussive. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!