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Synonyms

cadence

American  
[keyd-ns] / ˈkeɪd ns /

noun

  1. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words.

    the cadence of language.

  2. (in free verse) a rhythmic pattern that is nonmetrically structured.

  3. the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement.

    The chorus line danced in rapid cadence.
    Synonyms:
    meter, rhythm, pulse, tempo

  4. the flow or rhythm of events, especially the pattern in which something is experienced.

    the frenetic cadence of modern life.

  5. a slight falling in pitch of the voice in speaking or reading, as at the end of a declarative sentence.

  6. the general modulation of the voice.

  7. Music. a sequence of notes or chords that indicates the momentary or complete end of a composition, section, phrase, etc.

verb (used with object)

cadenced, cadencing

  1. to make rhythmical.

cadence British  
/ ˈkeɪdəns /

noun

  1. the beat or measure of something rhythmic

  2. a fall in the pitch of the voice, as at the end of a sentence

  3. modulation of the voice; intonation

  4. a rhythm or rhythmic construction in verse or prose; measure

  5. the close of a musical phrase or section

"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 cadence

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Italian cadenza cadenza

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.

The company has continued signing deals to power AI data centers, but the cadence of the deals has been too slow to generate enthusiasm.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Bazinet said given Netflix’s past cadence of price increases — it last raised its prices in January 2025 — it would be on schedule to do it again by October.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026

This final quote is not from the Bible, although it has the cadence of a religious verse.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

Assuming Apple stays on its yearly cadence of device renewal, we will be on the iPhone 32 by then.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

He liked the cadence of the Arabic-inflected voice on Radio Kaduna, but he did not like the gleeful certitude with which it said “Port Harcourt is liberated! Port Harcourt is liberated!”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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.