karaoke
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of karaoke
1985–1990; < Japanese, equivalent to kara empty + oke orchestra
Explanation
Karaoke is a type of entertainment where people sing popular songs to prerecorded music. Like the haiku, karaoke was invented in Japan. This form of entertainment is very popular in the United States, where people sing karaoke every day. It's a chance to sing a song you love without having a band: you can just get up and belt it out. Usually, the lyrics are displayed too, so you don't even have to remember the words. A lot of people would probably rather die than sing karaoke, but lots of people can't get enough.
Vocabulary lists containing karaoke
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
English Words Derived from Japanese
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
The pair are inseparable, with Margarita accompanying her mother to chemotherapy treatments and their own special celebration rituals involving karaoke and sharing combo platters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Abbi O’Leary and her friends ditched Wednesday-night karaoke plans to go catch a whiff of Morticia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
These might include karaoke nights, themed bingo happy hours, and raves, often thrown with well-respected collectives.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
Richard's other passion is singing karaoke at the park's club.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Molly recognized them from the Minetta Lane party at once, the two girls who had dragged Anat and her into karaoke.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
No matter how many times this person karaokes, they’re always bad.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2023
James Corden has officially left late night, after nine seasons of viral interviews, crosswalk musicals and carpool karaokes on “The Late Late Show.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
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.
