bhangra

American

[bahng-gruh] / ˈbɑŋ grə /

noun

a type of popular dance music combining Punjabi folk traditions with Western pop music, fusing traditional drum-based music with elements of reggae, ragga, hip-hop, rock, soul, and dance.

bhangra British

/ ˈbæŋɡrə /

noun

a type of Asian pop music that combines elements of traditional Punjabi music with Western pop

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bhangra

Borrowed into English from Punjabi around 1985–90

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.

And basement bhangra nights in Berlin are enjoyed in crop tops and deconstructed pants.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

She hopes these genres can take off in the U.K., as did Afrobeats, ska, bhangra and other musical styles that immigrant communities helped integrate into British popular music.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2025

But as the sun set and floodlights took over, the night air was filled the sound of whistles and bhangra drums.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2023

A video featuring Ranjit Singh Veer driving his bus in the West Midlands of Britain and leading a Punjabi bhangra dance crew has drawn tens of thousands of views.

From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2023

I demonstrate one of the bhangra moves Ahmed tried to teach Mustafa and me, with little success.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023