percussionist

American

[per-kuhsh-uh-nist] / pərˈkʌʃ ə nɪst /

noun

a musician who plays percussion instruments.

percussionist British

/ pəˈkʌʃənɪst /

noun

music a person who plays any of several percussion instruments, esp in an orchestra

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of percussionist

First recorded in 1810–20; percussion + -ist

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.

Drummer Charlie Watts, the group’s newest member, a jazz aficionado and an accomplished percussionist, propelled the music forward with a rock-solid beat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Prior to them, jazz percussionist Chuck Redd called off a Christmas Eve gig he had hosted annually since 2006 at the centre over the name change.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

“The People’s Mixtape” was recorded earlier this year in Brooklyn, N.Y., with Mr. Paul, keyboardist Jeremiah Chiu, trumpeter and percussionist Marquis Hill, and vibraphonist Joel Ross.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

The singer Elis Regina performed with Pascoal, as did and percussionist Airto Moreira.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2025

The percussionist from the orchestra launches into a drumroll.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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