Synonyms

drumbeat

American

[druhm-beet] / ˈdrʌmˌbit /

noun

the rhythmic sound of a drum.

drumbeat British

/ ˈdrʌmˌbiːt /

noun

the sound made by beating a drum

"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 drumbeat

First recorded in 1850–55; drum ¹ + beat

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.

Neither side has allowed the steady drumbeat of military exchanges between them to end the talks being mediated by Pakistan, Qatar and others.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026

There has been a steady drumbeat to honor Chavez after his death in 1993.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

“We hear this drumbeat of affordability, I think it’s pretty consistent with what we’ve been hearing for the last few years,” Jacobson says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Firms large and small are shedding jobs, and there is a steady drumbeat of redundancy announcements in sectors ranging from automotive to factory equipment makers.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

I strode faster now, pounding the wooden planks like a drumbeat.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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