karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌker-ē-ˈō-kē 

ˌka-rē-,

also

kə-ˈrō-kē  ˌkä-rä-ˈō-(ˌ)kā 

: a device that plays instrumental accompaniments for a selection of songs to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music

a karaoke machine

also : a form of entertainment involving the use of such a device (as in a bar)

Examples of karaoke in a Sentence

That bar has karaoke on Saturday night.

Recent Examples on the Web

Santa’s Pub This quirky karaoke bar in a double-wide trailer is unique in many ways, not least of which is that it’s festively decorated for Christmas year-round. —Eva Fedderly, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025

The Kids Camps were equally as comprehensive, accepting newborns in the nursery to 17-year-olds in a more age appropriate space, like a karaoke bar. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2025

Downloads are up slightly, streaming up 106%, video 185%, and karaoke 198% week-over-week. —Billboard Japan, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2025

So, Entertainment Weekly is flipping through film history to pick the 15 most memorable movie karaoke moments. —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from kara empty + ōke, short for ōkesutora orchestra

First Known Use

1977, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for karaoke

• cloche
• gnocchi
• loci
• pokey
• smokey
• smoky

Kids Definition

karaoke

noun

kar·​a·​o·​ke ˌkar-ē-ˌō-kē  kə-ˈrō-kē 

: a device that plays music to which the user sings along and that records the user's singing with the music