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Synonyms

hillbilly music

American  

noun

  1. folk music combined with elements of popular music in which the banjo, fiddle, and guitar are principal instruments: a type of music that originated in mountain regions of the southern U.S.

  2. country-and-western music.


Etymology

Origin of hillbilly music

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

So I was learning all this hillbilly music with my uncle, and then I focused on being an awesome guitar player.

From BBC • Aug. 22, 2025

White minstrel performers like Joel Walker Sweeney were credited with popularizing the instrument that inspired a vital part of popular music in the country seen as "hillbilly" music.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2024

In Their Own Words This new episode of the documentary series profiles guitarist Chuck Berry and how his blend of hillbilly music and R&B helped create the music that became rock ‘n’ roll.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 27, 2021

“They were playing hillbilly music: Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, older stuff,” she said.

From Washington Post • Feb. 4, 2015

Across the pastures, the incredible vulgarity of highly amplified hillbilly music drifted from the cafe on the highway.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

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