merengue
Americannoun
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a ballroom dance of Dominican and Haitian origin, characterized by a stiff-legged, limping step.
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the music for this dance.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a type of lively dance music originating in the Dominican Republic, which combines African and Spanish elements
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a Caribbean dance in duple time with syncopated rhythm performed to such music
Etymology
Origin of merengue
First recorded in 1880–90; from Latin American Spanish merengue, meringue, and probably a special use of Spanish merengue meringue ( def. ), but the semantic development is unclear
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.
The Colombian artist’s energetic set not only incorporated salsa, merengue and reggaeton classics — it also paid homage to regional Mexican music, with help from the Latin Grammy-nominated ensemble, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
Pulido said the video was a satire and the character was based on a scandal at the time involving merengue singer Elvis Crespo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
The roof of the Jet Set club in the capital Santo Domingo caved in early on April 8, during a concert by merengue star Rubby Perez.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
It’s a genre that emerged from people combining hip-hop, dancehall reggae and all manner of Latin American genres, like salsa and merengue.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2025
She smiles because we have been hearing a song on the radio from the street comer, a merengue song from the Dominican Republic.
From "Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti" by Frances Temple
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.
