rhythm
movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.
Music.
the pattern of regular or irregular pulses caused in music by the occurrence of strong and weak melodic and harmonic beats: She taught us the song, tapping out the rhythm for us on the table.
a particular form of this: duple rhythm; triple rhythm.
measured movement, as in dancing.
Art, Literature. a patterned repetition of a motif, formal element, etc., at regular or irregular intervals in the same or a modified form: I loved the pattern and rhythm of her story, with the repeating line about ancestors being proud of her actions.
the effect produced in a play, film, novel, etc., by the combination or arrangement of formal elements, as length of scenes, speech and description, timing, or recurrent themes, to create movement, tension, and emotional value in the development of the plot.
Prosody.
a particular kind of metrical form: Iambic rhythm has been the principal mode of English poetry since Chaucer.
metrical movement.
the pattern of recurrent strong and weak accents, vocalization and silence, and the distribution and combination of these elements in speech.
Physiology. the regular recurrence of an action or function, as of the beat of the heart, or the menstrual cycle: Waking up at the same time each day is good for your circadian rhythm—your 24-hour "body clock."
procedure marked by the regular recurrence of particular elements, phases, etc.: the rhythm of the seasons.
regular recurrence of elements in a system of motion.
Origin of rhythm
1Other words for rhythm
Other words from rhythm
- rhythm·less, adjective
- non·rhythm, noun
Words that may be confused with rhythm
- rhyme, rhythm
Words Nearby rhythm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rhythm in a sentence
Millions of workers are unemployed, countless businesses are closed, and for many, the rhythms of work life may have been permanently changed.
Even With A Vaccine, The Economy Could Take Many Months To Return To Normal | Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux | August 25, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightHeartMath’s Inner Balance sensor for iPhone and Android measures heart rhythm patterns to gauge users’ emotional states with an app that also includes guided meditations, real-time coaching tips, and journaling.
The refs themselves were out of rhythm and needed time to readjust to the speed of the game.
One big question, though, is whether women will turn out at high rates this year, with their kids out of school and the ordinary rhythms of life and work in disarray.
Women Won The Right To Vote 100 Years Ago. They Didn’t Start Voting Differently From Men Until 1980. | Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux | August 19, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightThere’s almost a musicality and rhythm to the way he speaks.
Sometimes a column has the economy and rhythm of a short story.
Royal Christmases have a rhythm and routine—but this year Will, Kate, and baby George have their own, more relaxed plans.
A car parked at a red light honked its horn in rhythm with the chant as the crowd passed in front of it.
‘They Let Him Off?’ Scenes from NYC in Disbelief | Jacob Siegel | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMost rhythm sections play pretty straight, but we were pushing him, the way we were with Miles.
I never got a definitive answer, but I think he was used to having a rhythm section that would not be that dynamic under him.
The significance of time is determined by the movement of any selection, or, in other words, the rhythm.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickThe reason we associate rhythm with the significance of time is that rhythm is a measurer of time.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickThe rhythm of a simple tune plays favourably on a child's ear, enhancing life according to this great law.
Children's Ways | James SullyMuch more attention should be given than is ordinarily devoted to the consideration of rhythm.
Expressive Voice Culture | Jessie Eldridge SouthwickTheir music is entirely of a light character, but they have rhythm and grace in a remarkable degree.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy Fay
British Dictionary definitions for rhythm
/ (ˈrɪðəm) /
the arrangement of the relative durations of and accents on the notes of a melody, usually laid out into regular groups (bars) of beats, the first beat of each bar carrying the stress
any specific arrangement of such groupings; time: quadruple rhythm
(in poetry)
the arrangement of words into a more or less regular sequence of stressed and unstressed or long and short syllables
any specific such arrangement; metre
(in painting, sculpture, architecture, etc) a harmonious sequence or pattern of masses alternating with voids, of light alternating with shade, of alternating colours, etc
any sequence of regularly recurring functions or events, such as the regular recurrence of certain physiological functions of the body, as the cardiac rhythm of the heartbeat
Origin of rhythm
1Derived forms of rhythm
- rhythmless, adjective
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
Cultural definitions for rhythm
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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