conga

noun

con·​ga ˈkäŋ-gə How to pronounce conga (audio)
1
: a Cuban dance of African origin involving three steps followed by a kick and performed by a group usually in single file
2
: a tall barrel-shaped or tapering drum of Afro-Cuban origin that is played with the hands

Illustration of conga

Illustration of conga
  • conga 2

Examples of conga in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are a lot of conga sounds in her songs, which makes her music feel super Latin. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 20 June 2025 That was the addition of an exhilarating conga pattern, and piano keys and a trumpet section played by Arturo Sandoval. Thania Garcia, Variety, 20 June 2025 Arnaz gained celebrity as the American popularizer of the conga, an Afro Cuban line dance that his father had once tried to ban. Julia M. Klein, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 And at the other end were people who’d play congas and timbales and Latin stuff. Jem Aswad, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conga

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, probably from feminine of congo black person, from Congo, region in Africa

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of conga was in 1934

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conga. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

conga

noun
con·​ga ˈkäŋ-gə How to pronounce conga (audio)
1
: a Cuban dance of African origin performed by a group usually in single file
2
: a tall narrow drum that is played with the hands

More from Merriam-Webster on conga

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