theme song

noun

plural theme songs

1

: a song or melody strongly associated with someone or something

a famous performer's theme song

the theme song of a political campaign

often : an identifying melody or song typically played at the beginning of a movie, television show, etc., and sometimes recurring during its course

Some of these shows were truly unforgettable, with catchy theme songs that are instantly recognizable decades later.

—Grant Butler

2

: a statement, expression, or opinion repeatedly heard from someone

But literary history is also entangled with criticism. Inevitably so; let me revert unblushingly to my theme song: in order to appreciate a masterpiece, we must be acquainted with its language …

—Albert Guerard

Examples of theme song in a Sentence

He was playing the theme song from “The Godfather.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Parton wrote the film’s theme song, winning her two Grammy Awards and a People’s Choice Award for it. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Morgan also sang the theme song of the 1975 NBC sitcom Fay starring Lee Grant. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026

Parton wrote the movie’s infectious theme song — which earned her the first of two Oscar nominations — while on the set between shots. — Deborah Wilker, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

During the concert in New York City, the star and co-creator of Ted Lasso hopped onstage and joined Marcus Mumford to sing the beloved show’s theme song. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for theme song

• evensong
• livelong
• overlong
• vietcong
• agung
• along
• belong
• birdsong
• furlong
• headlong
• headstrong
• lifelong