often attributive
1
a
: American music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by propulsive syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre
b
: popular dance music influenced by jazz and played in a loud rhythmic manner
2
: similar but unspecified things : stuff
that wind, and the waves, and all that jazz—
John Updike
John Updike3
: empty talk : humbug
spouted all the scientific jazz—Pete Martin
Pete MartinSynonyms
Noun
- applesauce [slang]
- balderdash
- baloney
- boloney
- beans
- bilge
- blah
- blah-blah
- blarney
- blather
- blatherskite
- blither
- bosh
- bull [slang]
- bunk
- bunkum
- buncombe
- claptrap
- codswallop [British]
- crapola [slang]
- crock
- drivel
- drool
- fiddle
- fiddle-faddle
- fiddlesticks
- flannel [British]
- flapdoodle
- folderol
- falderal
- folly
- foolishness
- fudge
- garbage
- guff
- hogwash
- hokeypokey
- hokum
- hoodoo
- hooey
- horsefeathers [slang]
- humbug
- humbuggery
- malarkey
- malarky
- moonshine
- muck
- nerts [slang]
- nonsense
- nuts
- piffle
- poppycock
- punk
- rot
- rubbish
- senselessness
- silliness
- slush
- stupidity
- taradiddle
- tarradiddle
- tommyrot
- tosh
- trash
- trumpery
- twaddle
Verb
Examples of jazz in a Sentence
Noun
What's all this jazz about you leaving?
She loves hiking, biking, and all that jazz.
Recent Examples on the WebStacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Big Ears, which just celebrated 10 years in Knoxville, is a festival for music that is like cross-genre music between jazz and Americana and new music.
—Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
As a boy, he was torn between pursuing pediatrics and jazz.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
His enthusiasm was equally palpable whether discussing Ravel and Rachmaninoff or newer works by Adès and tech-minded jazz pianist Dan Tepfer.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024
Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Once more, Bey blends neo-soul, jazz, and reggae, and also draws from her Muslim and Caribbean heritage.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2024
Catch jazz, funk, blues, and brass bands at Blue Nile, and you'll immediately be swept up in the Frenchmen Street atmosphere.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
The project, which is her first to feature all original songs, is a medley of American music — blues, jazz, soul, country, rock and gospel.
—Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
And if you’re jazzed by local elections, but less so the federal stuff?
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Live Nation, Beverly Hills SESAC Grammy Nominee Celebration SESAC will shine the spotlight on their clients’ nominations across various categories, from dance/electronic and R&B to jazz, Latin, and global music.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
The United States is quickly approaching a presidential election that no one is jazzed about.
—Megan Thiele Strong, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
Gilbert Castellanos jazzed to return to trumpet after groundbreaking dental breakthroughs saved his career
Jan. 17, 2021
Castellanos, 50, is the San Diego Symphony’s jazz curator and the founder of the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
Jaa jazzes things up a bit and when this film briefly flirts with becoming a martial-arts movie, there’s a spark of genuine potential.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Morris, winner of two Southland Conference titles in four years at Incarnate Word, should keep the offense jazzed.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023
Pricing and Which One to Buy Acura offers the RDX in one trim but provides several distinct packages to jazz it up.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023
Noun
Bravo was the kind of stop on the dial where Federico Fellini films were shown along with jazz and ballet performances.
—Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Big Ears, which just celebrated 10 years in Knoxville, is a festival for music that is like cross-genre music between jazz and Americana and new music.
—Michael Calore Lauren Goode, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
As a boy, he was torn between pursuing pediatrics and jazz.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024
His enthusiasm was equally palpable whether discussing Ravel and Rachmaninoff or newer works by Adès and tech-minded jazz pianist Dan Tepfer.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Mar. 2024
Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024
Once more, Bey blends neo-soul, jazz, and reggae, and also draws from her Muslim and Caribbean heritage.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2024
Catch jazz, funk, blues, and brass bands at Blue Nile, and you'll immediately be swept up in the Frenchmen Street atmosphere.
—Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024
The project, which is her first to feature all original songs, is a medley of American music — blues, jazz, soul, country, rock and gospel.
—Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024
Verb
Long-time proponents of downtown baseball were jazzed, and momentum built.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
And if you’re jazzed by local elections, but less so the federal stuff?
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Live Nation, Beverly Hills SESAC Grammy Nominee Celebration SESAC will shine the spotlight on their clients’ nominations across various categories, from dance/electronic and R&B to jazz, Latin, and global music.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
The United States is quickly approaching a presidential election that no one is jazzed about.
—Megan Thiele Strong, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
Gilbert Castellanos jazzed to return to trumpet after groundbreaking dental breakthroughs saved his career
Jan. 17, 2021
Castellanos, 50, is the San Diego Symphony’s jazz curator and the founder of the Young Lions Jazz Conservatory.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
Jaa jazzes things up a bit and when this film briefly flirts with becoming a martial-arts movie, there’s a spark of genuine potential.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Morris, winner of two Southland Conference titles in four years at Incarnate Word, should keep the offense jazzed.
—Kevin Sherrington, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023
Pricing and Which One to Buy Acura offers the RDX in one trim but provides several distinct packages to jazz it up.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jazz.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near jazz
Cite this Entry
“Jazz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jazz. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jazz
2 of 2 verb1
: enliven
—usually used with up
2
: to play in the manner of jazz
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