cha-cha

American  

[chah-chah] / ˈtʃɑˌtʃɑ /

Also cha-cha-cha

noun

• cha-chas
  plural

1. a fast ballroom dance of Latin American origin, similar to the mambo, that follows a rhythmic pattern based upon a quick three-step movement.

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verb (used without object)

• cha-chas,
  present (3rd person singular)
• cha-chaed,
  past participle,  past
• cha-chaing
  present participle

1. to dance the cha-cha.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cha-chas
  plural

Participles

• cha-chaing
  present
• cha-chaed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• cha-cha
  simple
• cha-chas
  simple
• have cha-chaed
  perfect
• has cha-chaed
  perfect
• am cha-chaing
  progressive
• are cha-chaing
  progressive
• is cha-chaing
  progressive
• have been cha-chaing
  perfect progressive
• has been cha-chaing
  perfect progressive

Past

• cha-chaed
  simple
• had cha-chaed
  perfect
• was cha-chaing
  progressive
• were cha-chaing
  progressive
• had been cha-chaing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will cha-cha
  simple
• will have cha-chaed
  perfect
• will be cha-chaing
  progressive
• will have been cha-chaing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of cha-cha

First recorded in 1950–55; from Latin American Spanish (Cuban) cha-cha-cha, probably imitative of the musical accompaniment

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cha-cha cha-chas cha-chaed

Baseball and softball leagues now compete for space with soccer in Curitiba’s parks, couples dance Cuba’s cha-cha in local bars and Cuban workers fill Curitiba’s construction sites and kitchens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Judge Craig Revel Horwood praised their cha-cha to 100 Degrees by Kylie and Dannii Minogue, saying it was "absolutely fierce, serving realness, serving fab-u-lous".

From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024

"I think that he'll land on his feet because if he learns to cha-cha he can go to 'Dancing With the Stars,'" Behar quipped, earning a few laughs from the audience.

From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2023

Many were first-generation Asian Americans, drawn to the artistry of the tango, fox trot and cha-cha after having spent most of their lives working and raising children.

From New York Times ● Feb. 24, 2023

A friend whose dad listens to old-school R&B and likes to cha-cha in the kitchen and sing about how today was a good day.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

British Cycling gave us great kit – nice shorts, shoes, gloves, but no anti-abrasion ointment, no medical chat about the dangers of chafing our cha-chas out of existence.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 26, 2019

The Elgart band’s repertoire shifted away from its earlier experiments in jazz into a polite lineup of big-band favorites, cha-chas and bossa nova standards.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2017

He and a trio started with an album for Decca Records called “Bagels and Bongos,” which whimsically transformed melancholy Yiddish chestnuts like “Raisins and Almonds” and “My Yiddishe Momme” into cha-chas or mambos.

From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2016

The Dance Duel: With simultaneous cha-chas to Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory,” Jaleel’s clear talent advantage shined through.

From Time ● Apr. 18, 2012

The party will start with refreshments, followed by dancing—rock and roll on the record player for Susie’s friends and merengues and cha-chas by a live Dominican combo for her parents’ guests.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Where young people once cha-chaed through the night, now the elderly struggle to survive on their Social Security checks.

From Time Magazine Archive

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