kumbaya

American

[koom-bahy-yah, koom-] / ˌkʊm baɪˈyɑ, ˌkum- /

noun

(often used ironically) a belief in peace, harmony, goodwill, or naive idealism.

adjective

(often used ironically) characterized by or expressing a belief in peace, harmony, goodwill, or naive idealism.

interjection

(used to express or suggest peace, harmony, goodwill, or naive idealism, often ironically.)

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.

King Charles III’s address to a joint meeting of Congress was the closest thing in a long time to a kumbaya moment on an ever more dysfunctional Capitol Hill.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

These episodes don’t necessarily end with participants finding common ground in a kumbaya moment.

From Salon • Oct. 22, 2025

"We're nowhere near the kind of kumbaya moment that was projected."

From Barron's • Oct. 14, 2025

The possibilities range from kumbaya to economic chaos with plenty of possibilities in between.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2023

Not part of the kumbaya circles that Bit pretended to be too tough for.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023