rhythmic

adjective

rhyth·​mic ˈrit͟h-mik How to pronounce rhythmic (audio)
variants or rhythmical
1
: marked by or moving in pronounced rhythm
2
: of, relating to, or involving rhythm
rhythmically adverb

Examples of rhythmic in a Sentence

We could hear a rhythmic drumming outside. lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sound of her mother's voice reading the Bible
Recent Examples on the Web Every 15 to 30 minutes, jets of water spray up, down, and rotate in a rhythmic and visually amusing pattern. Brad Raffensperger, National Review, 17 Jan. 2024 Smith was interested in investigating how changes in the configuration of the vocal tract produced timbral changes in the rhythmic pattern of the sounds produced. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023 Top sang a scratch vocal and played acoustic guitar, taking advantage of his rhythmic sense. Tom Roland, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024 At times harmonies were clearly tonal, at others piquant dissonances sounded over dominant seventh rhythmic grooves. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 The Ontario native, who has been married to actor Jeff Goldblum since 2014, is a former rhythmic gymnast. Skyler Caruso, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 There’s something rhythmic to Athenian gossip, with TV-star names merging with Greek phonemes and the names of islands, ships, and ancient philosophers. Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers, Ultramagnetic MCs and the rhythmic percussion of Fela Kuti and Tony Allen. Jenessa Williams, Pitchfork, 14 Feb. 2024 Foot by foot, the rig’s hammer slammed the pillar into the ground with the rhythmic beat of a metronome. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rhythmic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of rhythmic was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near rhythmic

Cite this Entry

“Rhythmic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhythmic. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rhythmic

adjective
rhyth·​mic ˈrit͟h-mik How to pronounce rhythmic (audio)
variants or rhythmical
: of, relating to, or having rhythm
rhythmically adverb

Medical Definition

rhythmic

adjective
rhyth·​mic ˈrit͟h-mik How to pronounce rhythmic (audio)
variants or rhythmical
1
: of, relating to, or involving rhythm
2
: marked by or moving in pronounced rhythm
rhythmic contractions
rhythmically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rhythmic

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