open mic

noun

variants or less commonly open mike
: an event in which amateurs may perform (as at a comedy club) usually without auditioning first

Examples of open mic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Wilco played a surprise set at an open mic night at a Dallas club. Spin Staff, Spin, 2 Oct. 2023 The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington is behind this different kind of open mic night: Bring sheet music for your favorite Broadway hit, pop tune or standard from the Great American Songbook, and belt it out while accompanied by a pianist. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023 The nostalgia of rock en español and its early fight for democracy July 14, 2023 Their first show was at an open mic at a church in San Gabriel. Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 There will also be an open mic for poetry and prose. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023 The winery also hosts events like happy hours, open mic nights, live music performances, farm-to-table dinners, and wine-tasting tours. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2023 With free time on her hands, Hagen decided to hit up an open mic and give stand-up a shot. Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 17 July 2023 With a few months until sentencing, Wood got on a Greyhound back to Birmingham and showed up at the local comedy club’s open mic night. Wesley Lowery, Washington Post, 1 May 2023 Public practice sessions in resonant stairwells and open mic nights at Seattle institutions are the foundation of the Seattle folk-pop band The Head and the Heart. Lauren Ballantyne, Rolling Stone, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'open mic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of open mic was in 1978

Dictionary Entries Near open mic

Cite this Entry

“Open mic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20mic. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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