bossa nova
noun
bos·sa no·va
ˌbä-sə-ˈnō-və 
1
: popular music of Brazilian origin that is rhythmically related to the samba but with complex harmonies and improvised jazzlike passages
2
: a dance performed to bossa nova music
Examples of bossa nova in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 13-track record sees the New York native expertly float tales of love, heartbreak, positivity, and frustration over a dreamy bed of smooth soul, R&B, and bossa nova melodies.
—
Staff Author, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The Chiefs open with the J’s Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is patently idiotic, but at least the loser can blame it on the bossa nova.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
The keyboardist and singer-songwriter began his career in bossa nova, but quickly took flight and developed a deeply personal, cosmopolitan musical language of his own.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
What's more, from João Gilberto and Gilberto Gil to the bossa nova and from the modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral to street artists Otavio Pandolfo and Gustavo Pandolfo, Brazil's culture is as vast as its landscapes and regions.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bossa nova
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Staff Author, EW.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The Chiefs open with the J’s Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is patently idiotic, but at least the loser can blame it on the bossa nova.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
The keyboardist and singer-songwriter began his career in bossa nova, but quickly took flight and developed a deeply personal, cosmopolitan musical language of his own.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
What's more, from João Gilberto and Gilberto Gil to the bossa nova and from the modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral to street artists Otavio Pandolfo and Gustavo Pandolfo, Brazil's culture is as vast as its landscapes and regions.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bossa nova
Cite this Entry
“Bossa nova.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bossa%20nova. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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