boogie-woogie

noun

boo·​gie-woo·​gie ˌbu̇-gē-ˈwu̇-gē 

ˌbü-gē-ˈwü-gē

: a percussive style of playing blues on the piano characterized by a steady rhythmic ground bass of eighth notes in quadruple time and a series of improvised melodic variations

Examples of boogie-woogie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Museum of Modern Art has announced a forthcoming exhibition dedicated to Dutch modernist Piet Mondrian’s years in New York—in particular, the influence of the city’s boogie-woogie music scene on his art. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 9 June 2026

Ian Stewart’s energetic boogie-woogie piano style rounded out the sound. — Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026

Sonically, the genre is indebted to blues and gospel music, but echoes of other kinds of Black music—like work songs, string and jug band music, Black vaudeville, boogie-woogie, and even minstrelsy—can be heard in it. — Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026

The boogie-woogie vibe instilled by Federici’s jangly piano pegs it as a pool hall hit rather than the headphones-listening and ponderous nature of the original. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for boogie-woogie

• boogie