segue

1 of 3

imperative verb

se·​gue ˈse-(ˌ)gwā 

ˈsā-

1

: proceed to what follows without pause

—used as a direction in music

2

: perform the music that follows like that which has preceded

—used as a direction in music

segue

2 of 3

verb

segued; segueing

intransitive verb

1

: to proceed without pause from one musical number or theme to another

2

: to make a transition without interruption from one activity, topic, scene, or part to another

segued smoothly into the next story

segue

3 of 3

noun

: a transition made without pause or interruption : the act or an instance of segueing (see segue entry 2)

Did you know?

Segue vs Segway

Segue is occasionally found spelled segway, even in edited text. There are two likely reasons for this: the familiar suffix –way (as seen in driveway and runway) seems to agree with the notion of a segue as a "path" along which something transitions; and the existence of the homophone Segway as a trade name for an American company that produces electric transportation devices. The standard spelling segue comes from the use of the word's Italian root as a direction in music, indicating a transition without interruption.

Examples of segue in a Sentence

Verb

Then he quickly segues into the dangers of being too hard on cops who make an honest mistake. That turns out to be the moral of the story, the perils of politics intruding on the job. —Ted Conover, New York Times Book Review, 18 Apr. 2004

As the Klamath Mountains segue into the Coast Range, moist Pacific air creeps up the river valley in cottony mists. —Bruce Barcott, Mother Jones, May–June 2003

But for casual acquaintances, keep your response brief. Just say "I'm happy for him," and segue into another topic. —Kitty Flynn, Cosmopolitan, December 2000

She quickly segued to the next topic.

The band smoothly segued from one song to the next.

In the movie, a shot of the outside of the house segued neatly to a shot of the family inside the house.

Noun

The evening news continued, a fast segue into a promo for that night's showcase program, an inquiry into the sources of the civic genius of Bonaparte … —Ward Just, Forgetfulness, (2006) 2007

Making a smooth segue into foreign policy, he offered a nuanced assessment of Russia's acting President Vladimir Putin as "showing signs of pragmatism," but added, correctly, that "anyone who tells you they have Putin figured out is blowing smoke." —James Carney, Time, 21 Feb. 2000

Recent Examples on the Web

Imperative verb

Stewart then segued into skewering Trump’s mass deportation policy, a topic tackled by fellow late-night host John Oliver just yesterday. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2024

The conversation then segued to depression and how the Wu-Tang Clan member deals with it. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 8 Oct. 2024

Verb

The conversation then segued to depression and how the Wu-Tang Clan member deals with it. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 8 Oct. 2024

Now with Ncuti Gatwa playing the Fifteenth Doctor in the latest season, Doctor Who has segued into an exciting new territory. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024

Noun

Stillman said rugs are a great segue for first-timers, applauding the success of U.S.-based Ruggable, which was founded by Jeneva Bell seven years ago after her own expensive rug was ruined by her dog. —Sofia Celeste, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024

Maybe the bullying is a segue into considering Nathan’s status in his workplace alongside his fumbled attempt at blackmail. —Cat Zhang, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Imperative verb, Verb, and Noun

Italian, there follows, from seguire to follow, from Latin sequi — more at sue

First Known Use

Imperative Verb

circa 1740, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1937, in the meaning defined above