karaoke
Americannoun
-
karaokes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of karaoke
1985–1990; < Japanese, equivalent to kara empty + oke orchestra
Explanation
Karaoke is a type of entertainment where people sing popular songs to prerecorded music. Like the haiku, karaoke was invented in Japan. This form of entertainment is very popular in the United States, where people sing karaoke every day. It's a chance to sing a song you love without having a band: you can just get up and belt it out. Usually, the lyrics are displayed too, so you don't even have to remember the words. A lot of people would probably rather die than sing karaoke, but lots of people can't get enough.
Vocabulary lists containing karaoke
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
English Words Derived from Japanese
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The director is David Robert Mitchell doing a karaoke cover of “Jurassic Park” and “E.T.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
It was a potentially awkward scenario that would end with two medals - and the two M11 athletes singing karaoke together late into the night.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
These might include karaoke nights, themed bingo happy hours, and raves, often thrown with well-respected collectives.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
A karaoke machine sits in the dining room and the nuns sometimes join the singing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
“I like that minivan commercial, too. The one where you’re behind the wheel, doing car pool karaoke with your kids.”
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
No matter how many times this person karaokes, they’re always bad.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2023
James Corden has officially left late night, after nine seasons of viral interviews, crosswalk musicals and carpool karaokes on “The Late Late Show.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
