serenade

1 of 2

noun

ser·​e·​nade ˌser-ə-ˈnād 

1

a

: a complimentary vocal or instrumental performance

especially : one given outdoors at night for a woman being courted

b

: a work so performed

2

: an instrumental composition in several movements, written for a small ensemble, and midway between the suite and the symphony in style

serenade

2 of 2

verb

serenaded; serenading

intransitive verb

: to play a serenade

transitive verb

: to perform a serenade in honor of

serenader noun

Examples of serenade in a Sentence

Verb

He serenaded her from the garden below her window.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Brown and Davis danced to a serenade by their friend, Tony and Grammy winner Leslie Odom Jr., who was accompanied by Dr. Richard Schectman. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 16 Dec. 2024

The family-friendly event also features lucha libre, ballet folklorico, mariachi serenades, a free Kids Zone, giveaways, traditional Mexican food, margaritas and more. —Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024

Verb

In a festive new commercial for Garage Beer, which the brothers became part owners of earlier this year, Jason Kelce shows off his vocal skills while Travis Kelce misses his chance to carol, instead serenading his brother over FaceTime. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024

When former Iowa teammate Kate Martin visited Clark’s Indy apartment as a member of the Las Vegas Aces in September, Clark serenaded her with Luke Combs songs on her karaoke machine. —Sean Gregory, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French sérénade, from Italian serenata, from sereno clear, calm (of weather), from Latin serenus serene

First Known Use

Noun

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1668, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

serenade

1 of 2 noun

ser·​e·​nade ˌser-ə-ˈnād 

: music as sung or played outdoors at night for a woman

serenade

2 of 2 verb

serenaded; serenading

: to entertain with or perform a serenade

serenader noun