cumbia
Americannoun
-
a type of Latin American dance music of Colombian origin, similar to salsa and using guitars, accordions, bass guitar, and percussion.
-
a dance performed to this music.
Etymology
Origin of cumbia
First recorded in 1860–65; from Latin American Spanish; origin uncertain
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.
Listen to the cumbia by young singer Estevie dedicated to the alley to get you prepped.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
The follow-up, 2022's Motomami, was a wildly innovative pop smash, twisting Latin American genres like cumbia and reggaeton around glitchy hip-hop beats and her playful, sinuous melodies.
From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025
Burnt sage filled the air at one intersection, courtesy of a Danza Azteca group, while attendees — some in traditional embroidered dresses and shirts — relished the cumbia song blasting from a nearby radio.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2025
Throughout your career, you’ve collaborated with many artists from various genres, from indie rock band Little Jesus to psychedelic cumbia pop group Bomba Estéreo.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025
Pleased at my reflection, I dance in front of the mirror and sing along with the cumbia music blasting on the stereo.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
![]()
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.