duet
Americannoun
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duets
plural
noun
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Also called (esp for instrumental compositions): duo. a musical composition for two performers or voices
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an action or activity performed by a pair of closely connected individuals
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of duet
1730–40; earlier duett < Italian duetto, equivalent to du ( o ) duet + -etto -et
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How does duet compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A duet is two people singing or playing musical instruments together. You and your brother might be a popular sidewalk duet with your fiddle-accordion combo. If you have tickets for a musical duet, you'll be watching and listening to two performers. You can also call the composition that's written for the two of them a duet, since it has parts for two instruments. Two dancers can also perform a duet, a dance especially choreographed for a couple. Duet stems from the Italian duetto, "musical composition for two voices," from duo, or "two."
Vocabulary lists containing duet
Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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It Takes Two: Di
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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:
By the end of Act 2, when the separated spouses were finally brought together only to face death, their farewell duet was incandescent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Anchored on a near-orchestral soundstage, its 20 tracks ricochet from in-your-face punk dissonance to majestic broken-heart dirges, a lovely duet with St. Vincent, rootsy folk interludes and farfisa-rich lounge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
This is especially clear in standout moments like “The Test,” a duet with her daughter, Lola Leon, and one of the most important songs of Madonna’s entire career.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
The melody on the jazzy “Betrayal” is memorable and affecting, and “The Test,” a synth-pop duet with her daughter Lola Leon, is one of the best songs on the record.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
She laughs, her throaty cry intermingling in a weird duet with minor hyperventilation.
From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle
This last meant not just physical security and strength but harmonious coordination with his ballerina in ways that enriched the choreographic impact of both in their duets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
R&B singer Peabo Bryson, well known for his duets from beloved Disney classics “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast,” suffered a stroke over the weekend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Her duets with legends such as Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey remain timeless classics.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
In the early 1980s Mr. McCartney worked on duets with Michael Jackson and, in a spirit of generosity, told him that the real money was in publishing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
Celia used to play duets with her Ti'a Alicia, side by side on the piano bench.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
