Meaning: Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: Her mellifluous voice captivated the audience.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• harmonious
• melodious

Antonyms:

• harsh
• grating

Meaning: Having a pleasant melody; tuneful.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The song has a melodic quality that is soothing.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• melodious
• harmonious

Antonyms:

• dissonant
• unmelodious

Meaning: A device that produces a regular tick sound to help musicians keep time.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He practiced with a metronome to improve his rhythm.

Category: Music

Synonyms: timekeeper

Meaning: A voice type between soprano and contralto.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She has a beautiful mezzo voice.

Category: Music › Vocal Types

Synonyms: mezzo-soprano

Meaning: A female singing voice between soprano and contralto.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The mezzo-soprano sang beautifully in the opera.

Category: Music › Vocal Types

Synonyms: female voice type

Meaning: To dance in a violent manner, often in a crowd at a concert.

Part of speech: verb

Example: They started to mosh during the heavy metal concert.

Category: Music › Concerts

Synonyms:

• slam dance
• headbang

Meaning: An area in front of a stage where people dance violently at concerts.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The mosh pit was packed with energetic fans.

Category: Music › Concerts

Synonyms:

• crowd
• dance area

Meaning: a series of eight notes in music.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The song spans an octave.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• eight-note scale
• musical interval

Meaning: a group of eight people or things.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The octet performed beautifully at the concert.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• eight-member group
• ensemble

Meaning: A musician who plays multiple instruments simultaneously.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He is a one-man band, playing guitar and drums at the same time.

Category: Music

Synonyms: solo musician

Meaning: The illegal practice of paying for airplay of music.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The artist was accused of payola to promote their song.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• bribery
• kickback

Meaning: The act of striking one body against another to produce sound.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Percussion instruments include drums and tambourines.

Category: Music › Instruments

Synonyms:

• striking
• beating

Meaning: A musician who plays percussion instruments.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The percussionist added rhythm to the band.

Category: Music › Instruments

Synonyms:

• drummer
• musician

Meaning: Relating to or characterized by striking or hitting.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The music had a strong percussive element.

Category: Music

Synonyms: rhythmic

Meaning: The ability to identify or produce a musical note without a reference tone.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He has perfect pitch and can sing any note accurately.

Category: Music › Skills

Meaning: The highness or lowness of a sound.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The pitch of her voice was very high.

Category: Music › Sound

Synonyms: tone

Meaning: A piano that plays music automatically.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The player-piano entertained guests at the party.

Category: Music

Synonyms: self-playing piano

Meaning: A list of songs or videos to be played.

Part of speech: noun

Example: I created a playlist for the party.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• tracklist
• setlist

Meaning: A genre of music characterized by fast tempos and loud, aggressive sound.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He loves listening to punk music.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• rock
• alternative

Meaning: a musical note that lasts for one-fourth of a measure

Part of speech: noun

Example: The song has a steady rhythm of quarter notes.

Category: Music › Notation

Meaning: a musical interval smaller than a semitone

Part of speech: noun

Example: The composer used quarter-tones to create unique sounds.

Category: Music › Intervals

Meaning: a group of four musicians or singers

Part of speech: noun

Example: The quartet performed beautifully at the concert.

Category: Music › Ensembles

Synonyms: group

Meaning: The persistence of sound after the source has stopped.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The reverb in the hall made the music sound richer.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• echo
• resonance

Meaning: To echo or resound.

Part of speech: verb

Example: The sound will reverberate through the canyon.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• echo
• resound

Meaning: The act of echoing or resounding.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The reverberation of the music created a unique atmosphere.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• echo
• resonance

Meaning: A regular pattern of sounds or movements.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The rhythm of the music made everyone want to dance.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• beat
• tempo

Antonyms:

• disorder
• chaos

Meaning: A genre of popular music combining rhythm and blues elements.

Part of speech: noun

Example: Rhythm and blue music often features soulful vocals.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• R&B
• soul music

Meaning: The group of instruments in a band that provides the rhythm.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The rhythm section of the band kept everyone in time.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• backline
• percussion section

Meaning: Having a regular beat or rhythm.

Part of speech: adjective

Example: The dancers moved in a rhythmic manner.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• regular
• steady

Antonyms:

• irregular
• unsteady

Meaning: A repeated musical phrase or pattern.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The guitarist played a catchy riff that everyone loved.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• melody
• phrase

Meaning: an early form of the trombone

Part of speech: noun

Example: The sackbut was popular in Renaissance music.

Category: Music › Instruments

Meaning: Short for saxophone, a musical instrument made of brass.

Part of speech: noun

Example: He plays the sax in a jazz band.

Category: Music › Instruments

Synonyms: saxophone

Meaning: A brass musical instrument with a single-reed mouthpiece, used in various music genres.

Part of speech: noun

Example: She plays the saxophone in the school band.

Category: Music › Instruments

Synonyms: sax

Meaning: A musician who plays the saxophone.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The saxophonist performed a beautiful solo.

Category: Music › Performers

Synonyms: musician

Meaning: A lively, playful musical composition, typically part of a larger work.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The symphony included a scherzo that delighted the audience.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• joke
• playful piece

Meaning: A musical note with a duration of four beats.

Part of speech: noun

Example: In the piece, there are several semibreves.

Category: Music

Synonyms: whole note

Meaning: The smallest interval in Western music, equal to one half-step.

Part of speech: noun

Example: A semitone separates two adjacent keys on a piano.

Category: Music › Theory

Synonyms: half step

Meaning: a piece of music sung or played in someone's honor

Part of speech: noun

Example: He wrote a serenade for her birthday.

Category: Music › Composition

Synonyms: song

Meaning: To sing a shanty, especially a sea shanty.

Part of speech: verb

Example: The sailors began to shant as they worked.

Category: Music

Synonyms:

• sing
• chant

Meaning: A small drum played with sticks, often used in marching bands.

Part of speech: noun

Example: The side drum added rhythm to the parade.

Category: Music

Synonyms: snare drum