Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

soukous

noun
sou·kous | \ˈsü-ˌküs \

Definition of soukous 

: popular guitar-driven dance music created in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under the influence of Cuban rumba

First Known Use of soukous

1982, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for soukous

African French (of Brazzaville and Kinshasa) soucous, soukous, a dance popular in the late 1960s, alteration of French secousse jolt, jerk

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about soukous

Dictionary Entries near soukous

sought

sought-after

souk

soukous

soul

Soulard crab

soul bell

Statistics for soukous

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for soukous

The first known use of soukous was in 1982

See more words from the same year

Comments on soukous

What made you want to look up soukous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

linchpin

one that holds something together

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz

  • the-triumph-of-venus-by-alessandro-magnasco
  • Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games