duet
Americannoun
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duets
plural
noun
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Also called (esp for instrumental compositions): duo. a musical composition for two performers or voices
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an action or activity performed by a pair of closely connected individuals
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of duet
1730–40; earlier duett < Italian duetto, equivalent to du ( o ) duet + -etto -et
Compare meaning
How does duet compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A duet is two people singing or playing musical instruments together. You and your brother might be a popular sidewalk duet with your fiddle-accordion combo. If you have tickets for a musical duet, you'll be watching and listening to two performers. You can also call the composition that's written for the two of them a duet, since it has parts for two instruments. Two dancers can also perform a duet, a dance especially choreographed for a couple. Duet stems from the Italian duetto, "musical composition for two voices," from duo, or "two."
Vocabulary lists containing duet
Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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It Takes Two: Di
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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.
See Examples For:
On the second night, Grande surprised the audience by bringing out her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo for a rendition of their movie duet For Good.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
"It's a bit like listening to what sounds like a single singer, only to discover it's actually a perfectly synchronized duet," said the researchers.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
She released it again as a duet with the tender country singer Vince Gill in 1995.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Since its excellence needs no explaining, here are a few others that are as worthy of our appreciation, including a heartwarming duet that epitomizes Parton’s universal appeal.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Maybe I should’ve joined band and played piano, gotten some recognition before working my way up to singing in the chorus, then maybe a duet with someone cool, and then maybe braving a solo.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Over the next seven years, the pair became one of country music's most popular duos, releasing so many duets that many fans assumed they were a couple.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
This last meant not just physical security and strength but harmonious coordination with his ballerina in ways that enriched the choreographic impact of both in their duets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Take your pick from country, R&B, jazz, rap, pop, love duets and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026
During the performance, Madonna and Carpenter sang duets of Vogue and Like A Prayer.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
For Wagner, nothing was allowed to distract from the unfolding musical story and he would happily intertwine chorus, solo, duets, instrumental interludes so that you could hardly tell when one ended and another began.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
