Karaoke Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

karaoke American [kar-ee-oh-kee] / ˌkær iˈoʊ ki /

noun

1. an act of singing along to a music video, especially one from which the original vocals have been electronically eliminated.

karaoke British / ˌkɑːrəˈəʊkɪ /

noun

1. 1. an entertainment of Japanese origin in which people take it in turns to sing well-known songs over a prerecorded backing tape

   2. ( as modifier )

      a karaoke bar

"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 karaoke

1985–1990; < Japanese, equivalent to kara empty + oke orchestra

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.

When he’s not spreading his love of Reese’s, he spends weekday afternoons singing Rolling Stones songs on karaoke machines in bars near the pier.

From The Wall Street Journal

Two weeks ago it was a new AI tool from a company that once made karaoke machines that hit freight stocks.

From Barron's

Earlier this month, transport stocks had one of their worst days ever after a onetime karaoke machine-maker touted new AI tools to streamline trucking.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the film, BJ, a failed karaoke bar R&B musician, gets a lucky chance to go to Korea and be the drummer for a popular K-pop competition series.

From Los Angeles Times

The score, a mix of lush disco and synth pop with hints of island breezes and karaoke camp, brings a club-like energy to the stage.

From Los Angeles Times

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.