karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌker-ē-ˈō-kē 

ˌka-rē-,

also

kə-ˈrō-kē  ˌkä-rä-ˈō-(ˌ)kā 

: a device that plays instrumental accompaniments for a selection of songs to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music

a karaoke machine

also : a form of entertainment involving the use of such a device (as in a bar)

Examples of karaoke in a Sentence

That bar has karaoke on Saturday night.

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s karaoke as well, and celebrity fans like Brad Paisley and Ed Sheeran have been known to pick up the mic. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025

From cringe-worthy to actually spectacular, there's nothing quite like a great karaoke scene on screen. —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025

The new speaker also features AI Vocal Removal, Vocal Enhancement and Reverb features for karaoke fans who want to up their game. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

The track is also down a notch from last week, but radio and karaoke increased by 133% and 109%, respectively, compared to the week before. —Billboard Japan, Billboard, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from kara empty + ōke, short for ōkesutora orchestra

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for karaoke

• cloche
• gnocchi
• loci
• pokey
• smokey
• smoky

Kids Definition

karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌkar-ē-ˌō-kē  kə-ˈrō-kē 

: a device that plays music to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music