dubstep

American  

[duhb-step] / ˈdʌbˌstɛp /

noun

1. a style of mostly instrumental electronic music, originating in London, influenced by dub and characterized by syncopated rhythm and an emphasis on bass and drum elements.

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dubstep British  

/ ˈdʌbˌstɛp /

noun

1. a genre of electronic music conveying a dark and brooding atmosphere through prominent bass lines

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Etymology

Origin of dubstep

2000–05; dub ⁴ (in the sense “a subgenre of reggae produced by remixing”) + step

Compare meaning

How does dubstep compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• EDM vs. dubstep

Example Sentences

In a 2010 Facebook post that’s still up, Jay refers to Livvy as his “writing/singing partner” and links a YouTube video to a dubstep remix he did for Livvy’s gender-swapped cover of David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World.”

From Slate

There’s a woman who sings it in a house, dubstep kind of way and I was always into dubstep.

From Los Angeles Times

He spent his days at home watching gaming YouTubers and listening to dubstep.

From Los Angeles Times

It's got disco, it's got dubstep, it's kind of a perfect pop album.

From Salon

"It’s why you have these other genres like grime, bassline, dubstep, which you can say are the children of garage."

From BBC