jazz

[ jaz ]

/ dʒæz /

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See synonyms for: jazz / jazzed / jazzing on Thesaurus.com

noun

music originating in New Orleans around the beginning of the 20th century and subsequently developing through various increasingly complex styles, generally marked by intricate, propulsive rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, improvisatory, virtuosic solos, melodic freedom, and a harmonic idiom ranging from simple diatonicism through chromaticism to atonality.

a style of dance music, popular especially in the 1920s, arranged for a large band and marked by some of the features of jazz.

dancing or a dance performed to such music, as with violent bodily motions and gestures.

Slang. liveliness; spirit; excitement.

Slang. insincere, exaggerated, or pretentious talk: Don't give me any of that jazz about your great job!

Slang. similar or related but unspecified things, activities, etc.: He goes for fishing and all that jazz.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of jazz.

verb (used with object)

to play (music) in the manner of jazz.

Informal.

to excite or enliven.
to accelerate.

Slang: Vulgar. to copulate with.

verb (used without object)

to dance to jazz music.

to play or perform jazz music.

Informal. to act or proceed with great energy or liveliness.

Slang: Vulgar. to copulate.

Verb Phrases

jazz up, Informal.

to add liveliness, vigor, or excitement to.
to add ornamentation, color, or extra features to, in order to increase appeal or interest; embellish.
to accelerate.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

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showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of jazz

1905–10, Americanism;1915–20 for def. 5; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM jazz

jazzer, noun

Words nearby jazz

Jayhawker State, Jayne, Jay's Treaty, jayvee, jaywalk, jazz, Jazz Age, jazz band, jazz dance, jazzed, jazzercise

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use jazz in a sentence

He doesn’t tell — but presumably Willie Weeks is among the good guys, as is Hendrix, and Wooten’s real-life cohort, and the visiting faculty at his music camps, who tend, like Wooten, to fall along the jazz-country-virtuoso spectrum.
The tale of a bass player, sonic epiphanies and a quest to save ‘real music’|Ben Ratliff|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
During a six-decade career, he won 23 Grammy Awards, more than any other jazz performer.
Chick Corea, versatile pianist who made jazz eclectic and electric, dies at 79|Matt Schudel|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
That live performance, a tribute to health-care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, will feature band leader Jon Batiste, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and dancer Ayodele Casel.
Arts in New York to get shot in the arm with celebrity-filled pop-up shows|Peter Marks|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Anderson biked until he was in his mid-80s and enjoyed listening to opera, jazz and symphony music.
Frank Anderson, 87, cared passionately about feeding the homeless in D.C.|Dana Hedgpeth|February 5, 2021|Washington Post

Yet it—like the blues, like jazz, like rock ’n’ roll—is part of who we are and where we’ve been.
Inauguration Musical Performances Are Tricky. But Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks Did Exactly What We Needed Them to Do|Stephanie Zacharek|January 20, 2021|Time
Ragtime, blues, country, jazz, soul, and rock and roll were all pioneered or inspired by black artists.
The Cultural Crimes of Iggy Azalea|Amy Zimmerman|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the last three decades, he has garnered justifiable praise as one of best pianists in jazz.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I think posterity will enshrine this body of work among the classics of 21st century jazz.
The Best Albums of 2014|Ted Gioia|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)” brings the rock chameleon into jazz territory, backed up by a horn-heavy jazz big band.
David Bowie Goes Big Band in New Music Video|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Do you see yourself setting a standard for classical chops in jazz?
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth|David Yaffe|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The American influence has been felt to such an extent that King Jazz is a universal potentate.
My Wonderful Visit|Charlie Chaplin
I heard one stalwart old fellow declare he was going to vote for Jazz.
The Iron Puddler|James J. Davis
He performed the ceremony carelessly enough, and then lounged away whistling the latest jazz melody.
The Riddle of the Mysterious Light|Mary E. Hanshew
And almost before you know it, you are playing your favorite pieces—jazz, ballads, classics.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science February 1930|Various
Besides, she had not forgotten what Danby Force had said: “Things often happen in the mill after a jazz night.”
Gypsy Flight|Roy J. Snell

British Dictionary definitions for jazz

jazz

/ (dʒæz) /

noun

a kind of music of African-American origin, characterized by syncopated rhythms, solo and group improvisation, and a variety of harmonic idioms and instrumental techniques. It exists in a number of stylesCompare blues See also bebop, bop 1 (def. 1), Dixieland, free (def. 7), hard bop, harmolodics, mainstream (def. 2), modern jazz, New Orleans jazz, swing (def. 28), trad
(as modifier)a jazz band
(in combination)a jazzman

informal enthusiasm or liveliness

slang rigmarole; paraphernalialegal papers and all that jazz

African-American slang, obsolete sexual intercourse

Southern African slang a dance

verb

(intr) to play or dance to jazz music

African-American slang, obsolete to have sexual intercourse with (a person)

Derived forms of jazz

jazzer, noun

Word Origin for jazz

C20: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for jazz

jazz

A form of American music that grew out of African-Americans' musical traditions at the beginning of the twentieth century. Jazz is generally considered a major contribution of the United States to the world of music. It quickly became a form of dance music, incorporating a “big beat” and solos by individual musicians. For many years, all jazz was improvised and taught orally, and even today jazz solos are often improvised. Over the years, the small groups of the original jazz players evolved into the “Big Bands” (led, for example, by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller), and finally into concert ensembles. Other famous jazz musicians include Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, and Ella Fitzgerald.

jazz

Origin of jazz

OTHER WORDS FROM jazz

Words nearby jazz

Words related to jazz

How to use jazz in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jazz

Derived forms of jazz

Word Origin for jazz

Cultural definitions for jazz