Debussy

American  

[deb-yoo-see, dey-byoo-, duh-byoo-see, duh-by-see] / ˌdɛb jʊˈsi, ˌdeɪ bjʊ-, dəˈbju si, də büˈsi /

noun

1. Claude Achille 1862–1918, French composer.

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Debussy British  

/ ˈdeɪbjuːsɪ, dəˈbjuːsɪ, dəbysi /

noun

1. ( Achille ) Claude (klod). 1862–1918, French composer and critic, the creator of impressionism in music and a profound influence on contemporary composition. His works include Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (1894) and La Mer (1905) for orchestra, the opera Pelléas et Mélisande (1902), and many piano pieces and song settings

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Other Word Forms

• Debussyan
  adjective

Example Sentences

Titled My Life In Music, it included touching performances of pieces by Rachmaninoff, Bach and Debussy - approached with a sense of tender nostalgia, as she reflected on her career.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

The French have given us Delacroix, Debussy, Claire Denis and Simone de Beauvoir, along with some of the goofiest of goofball comedies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

He put the composer first, spending his life digging deeper and deeper into Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, Schoenberg.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2024

He writes his deepest thoughts to me On Swift, Vermeer and Debussy.

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2023

This was a piece that was well known to the young Debussy, who revered Liszt as a disciple, and who was honoured to be able to play for him in person in 1888.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall