alternative rock

noun

: alternative music that blends elements of conventional rock with influences from other musical styles (such as punk rock, hard rock, hip-hop, or folk)

called also alt-rock

Examples of alternative rock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The track was much slower and more acoustic-based than many of the pop-punk and alternative rock cuts that had helped bring the group to the mainstream. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

After the breakup, Brownson formed the alternative rock trio LK. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026

The result stretches comfortably across generations and genres, drawing from Sixties folk, Seventies soul, country, and pop, Eighties R&B and electro-boogie, Nineties alternative rock, and early-2000s hip-hop. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026

The group, whose sound has often been described as melodic hardcore and alternative rock, has released four albums, each to more success and acclaim than the last. — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alternative rock

• aftershock
• antiknock
• arawak
• hollyhock
• interlock
• manioc
• shuttlecock
• tomahawk
• weathercock
• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock