merengue
Americannoun
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a ballroom dance of Dominican and Haitian origin, characterized by a stiff-legged, limping step.
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the music for this dance.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a type of lively dance music originating in the Dominican Republic, which combines African and Spanish elements
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a Caribbean dance in duple time with syncopated rhythm performed to such music
Etymology
Origin of merengue
First recorded in 1880–90; from Latin American Spanish merengue, meringue, and probably a special use of Spanish merengue meringue ( def. ), but the semantic development is unclear
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.
Pulido said the video was a satire and the character was based on a scandal at the time involving merengue singer Elvis Crespo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
The roof of the Jet Set club in the capital Santo Domingo caved in early on April 8, during a concert by merengue star Rubby Perez.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
It’s a genre that emerged from people combining hip-hop, dancehall reggae and all manner of Latin American genres, like salsa and merengue.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2025
There’s no merengue in English because there’s no need for merengue in English.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2025
We must have danced back to back at the merengue festival in ’54.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
