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Glite Dictionary
catchy tune

catchy tune

3 1.9
A melody like a song in an ad that is easy to remember and sing
  • noun
translation icon : melodía pegajosa
  • Cybert Waterman, experienced deejay and businessman, believes that the reason for the attraction of soka is its catchy tunes and rhythm.

And it's not obvious why it's not, it's not like a catchy tune.

Examples

  • These catchy tunes will take you all the way down chill-out lane!

    Blog text (9)

  • Residents of Bocas, as well as the tourists who attend one of their presentations, enjoy the catchy tunes and the atmosphere that the group creates.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Live for hot dogs at baseball games, or cool grass under your feet, or a catchy tune.

    Blog text (15)

  • After the success of her first single "Home Run," we're sure the album is going to be filled with catchy tunes you won't forget.

    Blog text (15)

  • He sings along with the catchy tune.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The guys unanimously agreed that Payne is the most likely to forget the lyrics to their super catchy tunes.

    Blog text (14)

  • Its catchy tune and comical horse-dance moves gained the attention of more than 8 million YouTube views within two weeks.

    Blog text (31)

  • It used a catchy tune, a simple premise, and an attainable answer to impart a skill to the young viewers.

    Blog text (16)

  • A nice and catchy tune that illustrates Pocahontas' reluctance to get married and her tension with her fiancé, Kocoum.

    Blog text (9)

  • The radio played a catchy tune that we couldn't stop humming.

Synonyms

tune
vscatchy tune
327 1.0

A series of musical notes that you can sing or hum

emphasizes easy memorability and tendency to be repeated or sung
jingle
vscatchy tune
56 3.0

A short catchy song used in advertising to promote a product

is a general memorable melody not limited to advertising use
air
vscatchy tune
31 6.6

A simple tune that you can easily sing or hum

focuses on being catchy and likely to be sung along
earworm
vscatchy tune
1 5.5

A short song or tune that keeps repeating in your mind

is a memorable melody meant to be sung or repeated, not intrusive
catchy hook
vscatchy tune
3.2

A short easy to remember musical phrase that repeats in a song

is a full melody that people remember and sing along to

Antonyms

tuneless
1 5.3

A sound that does not have a pleasant tune when sung

How Catchy

earworm
1 5.5
catchy tune
3 1.9
jingle
56 3.0
tune
327 1.0
melody
146 1.8

Surface Forms

catchy tune singular
catchy tunes plural

Morphology

catchy + tune

The phrase's meaning ('a melody that is easy to remember') is directly and transparently derived from combining 'catchy' (attractive, memorable) with 'tune' (a melody). This compositional logic is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the two words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase catchy tune comes from the image of a tune that 'catches' your ear, because catchy means it grabs your attention and won't let go. That's why it describes a song that is 'easy to remember' and stays in your head.