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Synonyms

singsong

American  
[sing-sawng, -song] / ˈsɪŋˌsɔŋ, -ˌsɒŋ /

noun

  1. verse, or a piece of verse, that is monotonously jingly in rhythm and pattern of pitch.

  2. monotonous rhythmical cadence, tone, or sound.

  3. British. an unrehearsed singing of well-known songs by an audience or other informal, untrained group; a community sing.

adjective

  1. monotonous in rhythm and in pitch.

singsong British  
/ ˈsɪŋˌsɒŋ /

noun

  1. an accent, metre, or intonation that is characterized by an alternately rising and falling rhythm, as in a person's voice, piece of verse, etc

  2. an informal session of singing, esp of popular or traditional songs

"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

adjective

  1. having a regular or monotonous rising and falling rhythm

    a singsong accent
"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 singsong

First recorded in 1600–10; sing + song

Explanation

Anything that's singsong has a musical sound. Kindergarten teachers are generally good at saying things like, "Everybody put your coats on for recess," in a singsong voice. A child will fall asleep easily listening to his dad's singsong reading of a bedtime story; and the singsong call of her master will catch a dog's attention at the dog park. Singsong means just what it sounds like, a rhythmic, chanting kind of almost-singing. In some parts of the world, it's also the same as a singalong, or group song. An earlier meaning, from the 17th century, was "a jingling ballad."

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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.

“Of course I have bragging rights,” she said in a singsong tone after the game.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

He is so many stages beyond the phase of life when I would speak to him in a singsong voice about patchwork elephants that it is laughable even to think of it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026

But its pièce de résistance for Roffman was Caselotti herself, who was home that afternoon and happy to entertain strangers with her cherubic singsong cadence.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2025

Designed to unite parishioners stuck at home during Covid lockdown, his "a tipple and a singsong" idea took off and attracted worshippers as far away as Brazil.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2023

She is short and speaks in a singsong that reminds me of the villagers in the north.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat

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.