theme song

American  

noun

theme songs plural

1. a melody in an operetta or musical comedy so emphasized by repetition as to dominate the presentation.

2. a melody identifying or identified with a radio or television program, dance band, etc., usually played at the beginning of each program.

3. an expression, comment, or subject of conversation that a person or group uses habitually.

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theme song British  

noun

1. a melody used, esp in a film score, to set a mood, introduce a character, etc

2. another term for signature tune

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• theme songs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of theme song

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theme song

A pivotal reveal at the end of Episode 3 was edited using the UK version of “The Apprentice” theme song as temp music during postproduction.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

But it also endeavored to sound different from previous fantasy media, replacing twee flutes with composer Ramin Djawadi’s deep strings, rhythmic drumming and a theme song that sought to inspire its audience to battle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

The theme song from “Titanic” wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card, but the employee running the game played a snippet and joked, “That’s all we’re allowed to pay on a cruise ship for safety reasons.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

The Show was created on the fly, based around a drum loop and the theme song to kids' TV show Inspector Gadget.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

The only sounds in the kitchen belonged to the eggs frying on the stove and Nana whistling the Bunker theme song.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson