noun
Uncommon
samba
SAHM-buh
Samba (noun) means a lively Brazilian ballroom dance, or the style of dancing it. Example: “They spent every Wednesday evening learning to samba at the community hall.”
noun
1
A lively Brazilian ballroom dance, or the style of dancing it.
"They spent every Wednesday evening learning to samba at the community hall."
"Her hips moved in time as she danced the samba across the floor."
2
A Brazilian musical genre with roots in West African rhythms, brought over during the slave trade, that this dance is performed to.
"The parade floats blasted samba from huge speakers all afternoon."
verb
1
To dance the samba.
"The whole street sambaed past the judges at Carnival."
How to use samba
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA festive Brazilian dance and its music, famous from Carnival parades.
Common pairings
dance the samba
samba music
samba school
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like samba.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- sambas
- Third person singular
- sambas
- Past tense
- sambaed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They spent every Wednesday evening learning to _____ at the community hall.
Etymology
Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese samba, which itself traces back to a Bantu language of West Africa.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for samba
See all rhymes for samba →Frequently asked questions
What does “samba” mean?
The word “samba” means a lively Brazilian ballroom dance, or the style of dancing it. In plain terms, a festive Brazilian dance and its music, famous from Carnival parades.
How do you pronounce “samba”?
“Samba” is pronounced SAHM-buh (/ˈsɑmbə/ in IPA).
How do you use “samba” in a sentence?
Here is “samba” used in a sentence: “They spent every Wednesday evening learning to samba at the community hall.”
What part of speech is “samba”?
Depending on how it is used, “samba” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “samba” come from?
The word “samba” comes from Portuguese. Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese samba, which itself traces back to a Bantu language of West Africa.
Is “samba” a common word?
“Samba” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “samba” have?
“Samba” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a lively Brazilian ballroom dance, or the style of dancing it.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include samba:
