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

While some debated whether the English-language pop single was actually a K-pop song, Lisa’s comeback single and tour with BLACKPINK this year brought her back into the Korean-pop industry at least for 2025. —Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Three new cast members have joined Paramount Pictures and Hybe America’s untitled K-pop movie, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned. —Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2025

In May, the K-pop star made her Met Gala debut. —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025

Guests can enjoy a dynamic lineup of live performances, from traditional music and theatrical acts to high-energy K-pop and Thai dance routines. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025

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