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steady drumbeat

steady drumbeat

1 3.4
A regular rhythm from drums that marks time and creates a mood
  • noun
translation icon : ritmo constante
  • The steady drumbeat of the band created an exciting atmosphere during the parade.

Examples

  • Going back to the 2008 campaign, Republicans have kept up a steady drumbeat that "half of Americans don't pay taxes."

    Blog text (7)
  • The administration kept a steady drumbeat for war, releasing various accounts to demonstrate why Iraq was an imminent threat.

    Academic text (2003)
  • For months, there has been this steady drumbeat of news stories.

    Blog text (4)
  • Meanwhile, Argentina's economy has heard only the steady drumbeat of bad news.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Having heard a steady drumbeat for several days, I inquired after its purpose.

    Academic text (1990)
  • There's been a steady drumbeat of new zoonotic viruses.

    Blog text (29)
  • House Speaker John Boehner, who has kept up a steady drumbeat of press releases on the subject this week, on Thursday called on the White House to release documents showing its role in the decision.

    Blog text (2)
  • Discussing some of the implications of the findings, she stated the need for a "steady drumbeat" of anti-drug messages to youths.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The steady drumbeat of war has been increasing in intensity over the past week, and it finally appears that a decisive battle between the Union and Confederacy is imminent.

    Blog text (9)
  • The steady drumbeat against government, crystallized by President Ronald Reagan in political mythology, but almost completely absent in the history of the United States, is having its predictable negative effects on our national economy.

    Blog text (2)

Synonyms

rhythm
vssteady drumbeat
301 3.3

A regular pattern of sounds and movements, often in music or dance

is the focused continuous pulse rather than the broader repeating pattern
beat
vssteady drumbeat
299 1.0

A regular rhythm like the sound in music or a heartbeat

is specifically continuous and regular, often used to mark time
drumbeat
vssteady drumbeat
4 1.6

A repeated sound made by hitting a drum

is the continuous regular rhythmic sound used to mark time or mood
drumming
vssteady drumbeat
2 1.8

Playing drums to make music

refers to the steady sound itself, not the act that produces it
pulsebeat
vssteady drumbeat
4.8

A steady beat that gives the basic timing in music or poems

is a continuous regular sound that marks time or creates mood
rub-a-dub
vssteady drumbeat
9.9

A steady repeating drum sound you hear at parades

is steadier and more regular for marking time and mood

Antonyms

27 3.5

Happening at no fixed times

How Regular

steady drumbeat
1 3.4
syncopation
  • Specialized
2 8.0
rubato
  • Specialized
1 9.5
free rhythm
  • Specialized
7.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

steady + drumbeat

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'steady' (continuous, regular) with 'drumbeat' (a series of drum hits); together they describe a continuous, regular rhythm. This is a straightforward compositional noun phrase following common adjective + noun semantics and would be clear to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

The expression steady drumbeat comes from the regular sound of a drumbeat played in a steady way that keeps time and builds energy. So when people talk about a 'steady drumbeat' of news or actions they mean a constant, repeated push that keeps attention or pressure going.