reggae

noun

reg·​gae ˈre-(ˌ)gā 

ˈrā-

: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines native styles with elements of rock and soul music and is performed at moderate tempos with the accent on the offbeat

Examples of reggae in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For music lovers, the store is bursting at the seams with vinyl records, CDs, cassette tapes and more, with genres ranging from jazz, rock and pop to blues, reggae and classical. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Dec. 2025

The long-running reggae punk band announced the debut of their first-ever touring festival, Sublime Me Gusta, which is slated to debut in Forth Worth, Texas on May 9 at the Panther Island Pavilion. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2025

Jimmy Cliff, the Jamaican musician and actor who helped bring reggae into the international spotlight, has died at 81. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Nov. 2025

His first win came in 1985 for best reggae recording for Cliff Hanger, followed by best reggae album for Rebirth in 2013. —Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reggae

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

Kids Definition

reggae

noun

reg·​gae ˈreg-(ˌ)ā 

ˈrāg-

: popular music of Jamaican origin that combines native styles with elements of U.S. Black popular music and is performed at moderate tempos with the accent on the offbeat