jazz
jaz
Jazz (noun) means a musical style rooted in African American tradition, marked by improvisation, syncopation, and swing rhythms. Example: “My uncle plays the saxophone in a small jazz band.”
noun
1
A musical style rooted in African American tradition, marked by improvisation, syncopation, and swing rhythms.
"My uncle plays the saxophone in a small jazz band."
"They spent the evening listening to live jazz in a smoky club."
"Miles Davis changed the direction of jazz in the 1950s."
2
Informal: excitement, energy, or flashy extra detail added to something.
"The advert had plenty of jazz but very little useful information."
"Let's skip the jazz and get straight to the point."
"Cut the fancy jazz and just tell me what happened."
verb
1
To make something more lively, colourful, or exciting.
"We jazzed up the plain living room with bright cushions."
"She jazzes up her dull sandwiches with fresh herbs and spices."
"They jazzed up the presentation with some animations."
How to use jazz
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe music genre, or informally, any flashy extra energy added to something.
Common pairings
jazz up
jazz music
jazz club
all that jazz
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Word forms
- Plural
- jazzes
- Third person singular
- jazzes
- Past tense
- jazzed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
My uncle plays the saxophone in a small _____ band.
Etymology
Origin unknown — first recorded around 1912 in baseball slang before it was applied to music a few years later.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “jazz” mean?
The word “jazz” means a musical style rooted in African American tradition, marked by improvisation, syncopation, and swing rhythms. In plain terms, the music genre, or informally, any flashy extra energy added to something.
How do you pronounce “jazz”?
“Jazz” is pronounced jaz (/d͡ʒæz/ in IPA).
How do you use “jazz” in a sentence?
Here is “jazz” used in a sentence: “They spent the evening listening to live jazz in a smoky club.”
What is another word for “jazz”?
Words with a similar meaning to “jazz” include ravage, jam, vitalise, confuscate, turn tricks and bug.
What part of speech is “jazz”?
Depending on how it is used, “jazz” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “jazz” come from?
The word “jazz” dates back to around 1912. Origin unknown — first recorded around 1912 in baseball slang before it was applied to music a few years later.
Is “jazz” a common word?
“Jazz” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “jazz” have?
“Jazz” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a musical style rooted in African American tradition, marked by improvisation, syncopation, and swing rhythms.
What is the difference between 'jazz' and 'blues'?
Both grew from African American musical traditions, but jazz is marked by improvisation, syncopation, and swing rhythms across many styles. Blues is typically built on a specific chord pattern and expressive, often melancholy vocals, and it strongly influenced early jazz.
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