call-and-response

American  

[kawl-uhn-ri-spons] / ˈkɔl ən rɪˈspɒns /

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to a style of singing in which a melody sung by one singer is responded to or echoed by one or more singers.

2. noting or pertaining to rapid, spontaneous verbal and nonverbal interaction between speaker and listener, in which all statements are punctuated by expressions from the listener.

---

noun

1. call-and-response singing.

2. call-and-response interaction between speaker and listener.

call-and-response British  

noun

1. a form of interaction between a speaker and one or more listeners, in which every utterance of the speaker elicits a verbal or non-verbal response from the listener or listeners

---

Etymology

Origin of call-and-response

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Imagine Blur covering Falco's Rock Me Amadeus, adding a lyric about jam roly polys and a gigantic call-and-response section, and you'll be part of the way to understanding its unique charm.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

The French audience needed only seconds of the latter’s familiar call-and-response from piano and horns to feel moved to applaud.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

After Charlize Theron read his name as the victor, Foxx hugged Corinne and took to the stage, keeping the energy going by getting the audience to do Charles’ signature call-and-response of “oooh!” and “aaah!”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2024

On one track, “Half Fling,” Wood and Monaghan made “high-pitched, Muppet call-and-response voices,” says Wood.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2024

I don’t catch on to the call-and-response until it’s already hit “ockmorton.”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein