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music

music

520 1.0
A sound or group of sounds that is pleasant to hear
  • noun
  • /ˈmjuːzɪk/
: música
  • Listening to classical music can be very soothing after a long day.
  • listen to music
  • play music
  • background music

The bright flashing lights, loud music, the loud unguarded talking.

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Examples

  • I'm very interested in music, in jazz.

  • Anyway, I was coming down Beale Street and I heard this music coming from a saloon.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • You hear music, great music if it's a good sound.

  • But the nature of their music did change a bit.

  • Often, town bands do not read music, but competition is increasing the numbers that do.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The drum of water was like music in her head, in her heart.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I love the sound of the Italian language; there is music in it to my ear.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • There were cheers and music and hugs and dancing.

  • The shouts, laughter, and music from the field where the games were held had ceased.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The office door was locked, but the sound of music was plainly audible.

    Fiction book (1990)

Idioms

18 4.5

Accept and deal with unpleasant results or criticism for something you did

Work well together as a team and achieve great results

News that makes someone feel very happy or relieved

Compounds

106 1.4

A style of popular music from the southern United States with simple tunes and storytelling lyrics often played on guitar

Music that is formal and often played by orchestras, mainly from Europe since the 1700s

42 1.6

Popular songs with loud electric guitars and a strong beat

40 1.0

Songs with a catchy tune that many people like

31 1.6

Music played in front of people, not from a recording

30 2.3

Music with fast rhyming speech spoken over a beat

A musical work like a song or music played by instruments

24 1.1

A person who gives music lessons to students

24 3.1

A small box that plays a tune when you wind it

23 1.0

Music that many people like and often hear on radio

21 2.0

Traditional songs and tunes that tell a community's stories and ways

17 3.0

Printed pages with music notes used for playing a song

A person who leads the music for a group like an orchestra

music hall
  • Archaic
17 6.2

A building where people watch live shows like songs, comedy, and short acts

15 1.4

Music with a strong beat that people dance to at parties

music critic
  • Literature
14 3.7

A person who writes reviews of music performances or recordings

13 2.4

A person who enjoys listening to music and goes to concerts

12 2.8

Music made by Black artists, like blues, jazz, gospel, and hip hop

10 5.3

Music for a small group of instruments, like a string quartet, played for a small audience

10 2.1

A school where students learn to play and study music

Music created using electronic devices like computers and synthesizers

9 1.0

A time when a teacher shows you how to play an instrument or sing

A place where people learn to play and study music

6 1.8

Music played on a piano

6 4.1

Music that creates a certain feeling for people

Music with no singing, played on a piano or guitar

A part of a school that teaches music to students

5 1.9

Dance music with a strong steady beat for dancing in clubs from the 1970s

4 2.3

Music from Ireland played on instruments like the fiddle and flute

4 2.3

Music sung or played during Christian services

A type of loud, powerful rock with strong guitar sounds, fast drums, and angry lyrics

4 1.6

A thing that holds sheet music so a musician can read it while playing

A collection of songs or sheet music kept for people to use

Music played without electronic sound equipment, using only natural instruments and voices

2 7.4

An old, simple type of country music from the mountains of the southern United States

Music that people listen to carefully, like symphonies and operas

2 3.0

A type of music with a certain style, like rock or jazz

2 9.9

An old idea that the movements of planets and stars make a perfect, silent harmony in the universe

2 3.9

A lively style of jazz with a strong beat that big bands play

2 3.7

A style of pop music with echoing guitars and songs about the beach and waves

2 2.9

Music that people sing with or without instruments

Songs or pieces people sing in places of worship to show faith

A natural ability to recognize and enjoy music

Music created by Black Americans, like spirituals, blues, and jazz

music hall
  • Archaic
1 7.8

A show with songs, jokes, and short acts that was popular in Britain long ago

Music that people play at a funeral to remember someone, usually slow and sad

Music with a strong regular beat played by bands for parades

symphonic music
  • Specialized
1 5.1

Music written for a large orchestra, often long and complex

A group of musicians, places, and music shows in one area

A person who loves music and often listens to it or goes to concerts

Music that plays during a play or film to support the action

Lively music with a strong beat played for soldiers marching or military parades

1 3.4

Music from a cultural group that shows its customs and daily life

1 3.0

Paper with lines for writing music notes

A part of a university that teaches music and organizes concerts

concerted music
  • Specialized
1 7.3

Music for several singers or players, each with a different part

A style of music from the 1970s that uses harsh, machine-like sounds and shocking ideas

A degree in music from a university after three or four years

1 1.2

Written notes for the piano

beat music
  • Archaic
1 4.0

A style of pop rock from 1960s Britain with strong rhythms and simple melodies

A place where many live music shows happen and musicians gather

program music
  • Specialized
1 6.8

Music that tells a story or shows scenes without words

12-tone music
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A way of writing music that uses all twelve notes in a fixed order

Brisk rhythmic music played by bands for soldiers to march or at ceremonies

rootsy music
  • Literature
1 6.7

A kind of music like old folk, country and blues that sounds simple and honest

absolute music
  • Specialized
1 7.9

Music without words that has no story and focuses on its sound and structure

A type of music liked by many people for a time

serial music
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A 20th-century style of music that uses a fixed order of notes to build an entire piece

Music played for couples to dance to, like the waltz

polyphonic music
  • Specialized
1 5.7

Music with two or more separate melody lines sounding at the same time

Music played to accompany square dancing, often with lively fiddle or banjo rhythms

1 3.4

A stand that holds sheet music while a musician plays

A steady beat in music you can feel in your body or emotions

How Pleasant

harmony
57 2.8
melody
138 1.8
music
520 1.0
sound
∞ 1.0
noise
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

music singular
musics plural

Etymology

Music also comes from the Greek mousike, 'art of the Muses', but it later grew to mean any sound that is pleasant or harmonious. So we call things like the rain or rustling leaves 'music' because they make pleasant sounds.