Synonyms

boogie-woogie

American

[boog-ee-woog-ee, boo-gee-woo-gee] / ˈbʊg iˈwʊg i, ˈbu giˈwu gi /

noun

Jazz.

a form of instrumental blues, especially for piano, using melodic variations over a constantly repeated bass figure.

boogie-woogie British

/ ˈbuːɡɪˈwuːɡɪ, ˈbʊɡɪˈwʊɡɪ /

noun

a style of piano jazz using a dotted bass pattern, usually with eight notes in a bar and the harmonies of the 12-bar blues

"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 boogie-woogie

1925–30, rhyming compound perhaps based on boogie

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.

Ian Stewart’s energetic boogie-woogie piano style rounded out the sound.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Both Basie and Hampton offer a selection of big-band boogie-woogie numbers, while Basie also features the majestic blues singer Jimmy Rushing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026

After the group split, he founded the Brian Setzer Orchestra, a boogie-woogie, jump blues band straddling originals and jazzed-up covers.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2023

He started with a boogie-woogie piano, tossing out melodic ideas that Carey would respond to with lyrics.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 10, 2023

A couple of weeks ago, under a pile of old sheet music and practice books, I found a yellowed book of boogie-woogie pieces, and old-time blues and rock.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

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