merengue

American  

[muh-reng-gay] / məˈrɛŋ geɪ /

noun

1. a ballroom dance of Dominican and Haitian origin, characterized by a stiff-legged, limping step.

2. the music for this dance.

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verb (used without object)

merengued, merenguing

1. to dance the merengue.

merengue British  

/ məˈrɛŋɡeɪ /

noun

1. a type of lively dance music originating in the Dominican Republic, which combines African and Spanish elements

2. a Caribbean dance in duple time with syncopated rhythm performed to such music

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

merengue

The Colombian artist’s energetic set not only incorporated salsa, merengue and reggaeton classics — it also paid homage to regional Mexican music, with help from the Latin Grammy-nominated ensemble, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026

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, under a canopy of white crepe-paper ribbons, ten couples danced as the band played a quick merengue.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez

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