karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌker-ē-ˈō-kē 

ˌka-rē-

also

kə-ˈrō-kē  ˌkä-rä-ˈō-(ˌ)kā 

: a device that plays instrumental accompaniments for a selection of songs to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music

a karaoke machine

also : a form of entertainment involving the use of such a device (as in a bar)

Examples of karaoke in a Sentence

That bar has karaoke on Saturday night.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is why the opportunity right now isn’t to reinvent karaoke, but to elevate it. —Jesse Kirshbaum, SPIN, 1 May 2026

Guest-favorite activities include bike light parades, karaoke, and paint nights. —Maggie Downs, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2026

Treat yourself this weekend with a great deal and a nice karaoke session indoors or outdoors. —George Yang, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026

The venue uses a popular karaoke service called KaraFun, which has a catalog of more than 600,000 songs (and adds 400 new tracks every month), according to its website. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from kara empty + ōke, short for ōkesutora orchestra

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for karaoke

• cloche
• gnocchi
• loci
• pokey
• smokey
• smoky

Kids Definition

karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌkar-ē-ˌō-kē  kə-ˈrō-kē 

: a device that plays music to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music