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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.

See Examples For:

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

That got him hooked on the music that had emerged in the 1950s by loosely combining R&B and the raw energy of hillbilly music.

From Washington Post May 21, 2019

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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