ragtime

noun

rag·​time ˈrag-ˌtīm 

1

: rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment in stride-piano style

2

: music having ragtime rhythm

Examples of ragtime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It was first pieced together in New Orleans by the cornetist King Buddy Bolden, who was born the year Reconstruction ended, and who drew on both the Blues traditions of Black evangelical churches and the ragtime of French-speaking Creole Black musicians. —Elizabeth Alexander, Time, 1 Apr. 2025

There’s not enough of what makes the region’s music shine: ragtime, blues, Cajun and Creole, and Jon Batiste-style funk. —Harold Goldberg, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

Its sound is a melting pot of musical influences, incorporating remnants of ragtime, blues, and African rhythms, among others. —Okla Jones, Essence, 10 Mar. 2025

Two of Beethoven’s most philosophical, probing sonatas frame a suite of jazz, ragtime, and popular song — from Joplin to Nina Simone … Charles Ives didn’t just want to mix popular and classical music. —Jane Levere, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from ragged + time

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ragtime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime

Kids Definition

ragtime

noun

rag·​time ˈrag-ˌtīm 

1

: music played with a strong march-style rhythm and a lively melody with accented notes falling on beats that are not usually accented

2

: music having ragtime rhythm