karaoke

American  

[kar-ee-oh-kee] / ˌkær iˈoʊ ki /

noun

karaokes plural

1. an act of singing along to a music video, especially one from which the original vocals have been electronically eliminated.

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karaoke British  

/ ˌkɑːrəˈəʊkɪ /

noun

1. 1. an entertainment of Japanese origin in which people take it in turns to sing well-known songs over a prerecorded backing tape

   2. ( as modifier )

      a karaoke bar

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• karaokes
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

These might include karaoke nights, themed bingo happy hours, and raves, often thrown with well-respected collectives.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026

Beyond the arcade, visitors can enjoy mini golf, karaoke, themed events and monthly performances like Queer Circus.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026

Undeterred by the rain, many have taken musical cruises on the Danube and sang karaoke in the huge fan zone set up in front of the City Hall and aboard trams crisscrossing the city.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Then he's off again, having spotted a Eurovision karaoke booth.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

People belt out sappy love songs around the karaoke machine, and all the aunties in the kitchen make chismis, gossip.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio