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Glite Dictionary
to the rhythm of

to the rhythm of

2 3.2
Moving in time with the beat or pattern of something
  • idiom
translation icon : al ritmo de
  • My group swayed and clapped to the rhythm of the song.
  • to the rhythm of the drums
  • sway to the rhythm of
  • dancing to the rhythm of

Or I could slash apart colored blocks to to the rhythm of the music.

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Examples

  • She tapped her foot to the rhythm of the upbeat song playing in the background.

  • But Noah drummed his fingers to the rhythm of the Grateful Dead.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Tonight they would dance together to the rhythm of the drums.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The girl danced to the rhythm of a popular song.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Waves rushed in and out, crashing and sighing to the rhythm of the couple's movements.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Loose seeds shake inside as they shuffle in the sandy dirt to the rhythm of the drummer.

    Blog text (20)

  • Happy tires make happy drivers, Phillip thought, drumming his fingers on the wheel to the rhythm of Keith Richards's outlaw guitar.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • The dancers moved gracefully to the rhythm of the music, perfectly synchronizing their steps.

  • As we walked, we spoke softly to each other to the rhythm of the gentle waves crashing on the shore.

Synonyms

in time
vsto the rhythm of
13 2.2

At the right beat so movement matches the music

follows the general tempo or pattern rather than exact beats
rhythmically
vsto the rhythm of
10 4.1

In a steady pattern of sound or movement

matches a specific beat or tempo rather than just having a pattern

How Rhythmic

in time
13 2.2
to the rhythm of
2 3.2
offbeat
  • Specialized
1 7.4

Surface Forms

to the rhythm of main

Morphology

to + the + rhythm + of

The phrase 'to the rhythm of' is a compositional prepositional sequence: 'rhythm' denotes a regular beat or pattern and the prepositions 'to'/'of' express alignment, so the meaning 'in accordance with the beat/tempo' follows directly from the parts. This construction is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish 'al ritmo de', French 'au rythme de'), making it predictable for a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

To the rhythm of comes from the picture of moving with a steady rhythm, like dancers or marching soldiers following a drum. That's why it means 'in time with the beat or pattern'.