Bollywood

noun

Bol·​ly·​wood ˈbä-lē-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce Bollywood (audio)
: the motion-picture industry in India

Examples of Bollywood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Randhawa began by releasing independent singles and grew to become a global icon and pop star recognized for his Punjabi and Bollywood hits. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Nov. 2023 Her parents were—and still are—musicians in a Bay Area Bollywood cover band called Geetanjali. Parizaad Khan Sethi, Vogue, 7 Nov. 2023 From July/August 2021 issue: Can Bollywood survive Modi? Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2023 The song’s producers, Bloodshy & Avant, combined an array of sounds that should not go together — a 1981 Bollywood love song, electric surf guitar, and funky synthesized bass — into an unforgettable mélange. Vulture Editors, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2023 Via this method, Singh has been the on-screen singing voice of most of Bollywood’s top male stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor among many others. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023 India now has openly gay celebrities and some high-profile Bollywood films have dealt with gay issues. Krutika Pathi, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Oct. 2023 In India, weddings — particularly among the upper class — are evolving, too, influenced by Bollywood movies and the lifestyles of famous actors like Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. Priya Krishna, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2023 The musician and Bollywood star have made time and shown support for one another throughout the Jonas Brothers’ tour, which kicked off in August. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Bombay (Mumbai), traditional center of the Indian film industry + Hollywood

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Bollywood was in 1969

Dictionary Entries Near Bollywood

Cite this Entry

“Bollywood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Bollywood. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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