oompah

noun

oom·​pah ˈüm-(ˌ)pä 

ˈu̇m-

variants or less commonly oompah-pah

ˌüm-(ˌ)pä-ˈpä 

ˌu̇m-

: a repeated rhythmic bass accompaniment especially in a band

also : music featuring such accompaniment

oompah verb

Examples of oompah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the heart of the Altstadt, a short walk from Marienplatz, another of Munich’s must-sees, Hofbrauhaus is a swirl of oompah music, clinking liters and travelers discovering that Bavarian exuberance doesn’t require a festival. — David Dickstein, Oc Register, 10 June 2026

So, too, did all of his department heads on their own fiefdoms and the oddball band Tune-Yards on the score, a cacophony of circus oompahs, mouth harps and kazoos. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026

Cheerful folk music oompahs through the Heimatstube. — Kendra Atleework, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2026

There’s an oompah band, of course, and those classic Oktoberfest contests like stein hoisting, keg tossing and even a costume contest. — Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above