bachata
Americannoun
-
a contemporary genre of Latin American popular music, in the style of a ballad, featuring guitars, percussion, and singing.
On Thursdays, they have a band that plays nothing but bachata.
-
a song performed in the musical style of bachata.
The lyrics to this bachata are from a traditional hymn.
-
a partnered dance of Dominican origin, performed to the music of bachata, traditionally danced in eight-count box steps with a sequence of three steps and a tap, with modern variations that include steps from other Latin ballroom dances.
Part of the ballroom competition is a six-minute bachata.
Etymology
Origin of bachata
First recorded in 1955–60; from Caribbean Spanish; origin uncertain
Explanation
Bachata is a rhythmic style of music that originated in the Dominican Republic. Its signature sound is driven by melodic guitar and sharp percussion, featuring bongos and a handheld metal scraper known as a güira. Bachata is derived from Caribbean Spanish, and the word itself literally means "a party" or "a good time." This musical genre is inseparable from its dance counterpart; the term describes the music genre, a song in the genre, and the dance performed to the music. Dating back to the 1950s, bachata evolved from a localized folk tradition into a global phenomenon in the 1990s.
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.
"When you put music on for him he won't stop singing -- bachata, rock 'n' roll, anything noisy."
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
This tension plays out in the storyline of Frendy, a magnetic student of Haitian descent who uses bachata to fit in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
“Salsa just wasn’t as popular anymore, and people would walk over to the other side of the restaurant to take the bachata lessons.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2025
The LP continues Shakira’s career-long penchant for pulling together music and collaborators from across the Americas, dipping into rock, electro-pop, trap, Dominican bachata, Nigerian-style Afrobeats and regional Mexican cumbia and polka.
From New York Times ● Mar. 18, 2024
Just the blast of bachata coming from inside her mother’s store.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
