rhythmnoun
uk/ˈrɪð.əm/us/ˈrɪð.əm/B2 [ C or U ] a strong pattern of sounds, words, or musical notes that is used in music, poetry, and dancing:
He beat out a jazz rhythm on the drums.
I've got no sense of rhythm, so I'm a terrible dancer.
B2 [ C or U ] a regular movement or pattern of movements:
She was lulled to sleep by the gentle rhythm of the boat in the water.
She hit the ball so hard that her opponent had no chance to establish any rhythm in her game.
[ C ] a regular pattern of change, especially one that happens in nature:
the rhythm of the seasons
Breathing and sleeping are examples of biological rhythms in humans.
More examples
- As he read the poem out loud, he mangled the rhythm so badly that it scarcely made any sense.
- The drummer beat out a steady rhythm while we marched.
- Their music is a blend of jazz and African rhythms.
- The music suddenly changed from a smooth melody to a staccato rhythm.
- Defibrillators are used to restore normal rhythm to the heart.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Technical music terms
- accidental
- adagio
- allegro
- antiphonal
- arpeggio
- arr
- arrange
- cadence
- harmonic
- harmony
- key signature
- legato
- mike check
- motif
- timbre
- tuning
- twelve-tone
- twelve-tone scale
- unison
- up-tempo
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Straight, even and level
Change and changes