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
Brazil loves the toys and the franchise, so look for Teela and He-Man to do the bossa nova there; Galitzine and Knight recently did a tour there last week.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Rhythms of bossa nova and Brazilian funk cascade from overhead speakers into the narrow Adams Morgan space.
—Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2026
One lovely sequence sees an outdoor lunch at the lodge turn into an impromptu dance party with a live musician singing some cheerfully inauthentic bossa nova.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
By injecting the song with a bossa nova cadence, Laufey made the Carey standard her own while remaining true to its core.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bossa nova
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Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 3 June 2026
Rhythms of bossa nova and Brazilian funk cascade from overhead speakers into the narrow Adams Morgan space.
—Elazar Sontag, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2026
One lovely sequence sees an outdoor lunch at the lodge turn into an impromptu dance party with a live musician singing some cheerfully inauthentic bossa nova.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
By injecting the song with a bossa nova cadence, Laufey made the Carey standard her own while remaining true to its core.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
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 Jun. 2026.
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