K-pop

noun

ˈkā-ˌpäp 

: popular music originating in South Korea and encompassing a variety of styles

The opening ceremony, which took place Friday in Pyeongchang, South Korea, featured several songs from notable K-pop artists as teams circled the stadium.

—Kimberly Yam

Examples of K-pop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ejae later won both a Grammy and an Oscar for the track, and she’s primarily known for her work within K-pop. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Little Mix member Jade brings her avant-garde pop to the stage next, followed by Aespa, the South Korean girl group that has translated the hyperpop genre into K-pop sounds. — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

The company has also produced toys and merchandise featuring Mighteez, characters created with another K-pop boy group, ATEEZ, and with brands including Sesame Street. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 20 July 2026

The halftime show performers BTS (co-headliner) The popular K-pop group returns after military conscription forced its multi-year hiatus. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for Korean pop

First Known Use

1999, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for K-pop

• bop
• chop
• cop
• crop
• drop
• flop
• fop
• hop
• knop
• lop
• mop
• op