samba

noun

sam·​ba ˈsam-bə How to pronounce samba (audio) ˈsäm- How to pronounce samba (audio)
: a Brazilian dance of African origin with a basic pattern of step-close-step-close and characterized by a dip and spring upward at each beat of the music
also : the music for this dance
samba intransitive verb

Examples of samba in a Sentence

The band played a samba.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Brazil sounded completely different, with samba musicians practicing in the streets. Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025 The British Reinvasion didn't end there, either, as proven by trip-hop, drums-and-bass, jungle, or whatever term the British press coined this week for all those heady, space-age samba club beats. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Reid’s 1973 album, River, stands out as the gem in his catalog for its mix of progressive folk tinged with elements of R&B, funk, pop, and samba. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025 Within fifty years, the practice spread across racial lines, and in the twentieth century, samba became a dominant part of religious celebrations in the region. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for samba

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of samba was in 1885

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Samba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samba. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on samba

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!