plural bass or basses
: any of numerous edible marine or freshwater bony fishes (especially families Centrarchidae, Serranidae, and Percichthyidae of the order Perciformes)
1
: deep or grave in tone
2
a
: of low pitch
b
: relating to or having the range or part of a bass
1
a
: the lowest voice part in a 4-part chorus
b
: the lower half of the whole vocal or instrumental tonal range compare treble entry 1
c
: the lowest adult male singing voice
also
: a person having this voice
d
: a member of a family of instruments having the lowest range
especially
: double bass
2
: a deep or grave tone : a low-pitched sound
1
2
: a coarse tough fiber from palms
Synonyms
Examples of bass in a Sentence
Adjective
the sound of the bass drum
a man with an impressive bass voice
Recent Examples on the Web
Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
But its predecessor, Volume 3 (featuring Smokeface), has more of a hip-hop feel with booming Trap-like sub-bass lines, some active high-hats mixed with synths, sax, flute, and head-nodding, funky, loping grooves.
—cleveland, 10 Jan. 2023
Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
By day, Leighton teaches bass, lectures and directs the jazz ensemble at Cal State San Marcos.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
Tournament Bass Fishing For decades, having a bass boat or a buddy with one was a prerequisite for tournament bass fishing.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2024
Their internals are equally thoughtful, with synchronized bass and two tweeters per unit.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
The ceviche mixto bowl ($22) features market seafood, which meant striped bass and albacore on my visit.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
The solid bass provided by dual woofers along the back panel lends some body and punch to the sound, while the midrange and treble drivers are suitably clear and engaging, if not pristine.
—Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
The rod is only one piece of the equation in bass fishing.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Boss died suddenly on Feb. 18, following a concert the night before at the Idyllwild Arts Academy with bass great Marshall Hawkins’ Seahawk Modern Jazz Orchestra Boss was 71.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
Adjective
However, the genre—characterized by fast breakbeats with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, samples and synthesizers—fell out of style in North America.
—Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
But its predecessor, Volume 3 (featuring Smokeface), has more of a hip-hop feel with booming Trap-like sub-bass lines, some active high-hats mixed with synths, sax, flute, and head-nodding, funky, loping grooves.
—cleveland, 10 Jan. 2023
Noun
Even though Chris Squire’s thunderous bass is somewhat low in these mixes, Progeny offers illuminating insight into the touring routine of a band that, at that time, appeared to exist in a permanent state of grace.
—Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
By day, Leighton teaches bass, lectures and directs the jazz ensemble at Cal State San Marcos.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
Tournament Bass Fishing For decades, having a bass boat or a buddy with one was a prerequisite for tournament bass fishing.
—Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 3 Apr. 2024
Their internals are equally thoughtful, with synchronized bass and two tweeters per unit.
—K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 1 Apr. 2024
The ceviche mixto bowl ($22) features market seafood, which meant striped bass and albacore on my visit.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
The solid bass provided by dual woofers along the back panel lends some body and punch to the sound, while the midrange and treble drivers are suitably clear and engaging, if not pristine.
—Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 28 Mar. 2024
The rod is only one piece of the equation in bass fishing.
—Max Inchausti, Field & Stream, 28 Mar. 2024
Boss died suddenly on Feb. 18, following a concert the night before at the Idyllwild Arts Academy with bass great Marshall Hawkins’ Seahawk Modern Jazz Orchestra Boss was 71.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bass
Cite this Entry
“Bass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bass. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bass
1 of 2 noun
plural bass or basses
: any of various spiny-finned freshwater or saltwater sport and food fishes
bass
2 of 2 noun1
a
: the lowest musical part in harmony for four parts compare alto sense 1b, soprano entry 2 sense 1, tenor sense 2a
b
: the lower half of a musical tone range compare treble
2
a
: the lowest male singing voice or a person who has this voice
b
: a person or instrument performing the bass part
bass
adjective
Etymology
Noun
Old English bærs "bass"
Noun
Middle English bas (adjective) "being or having a low solemn tone"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share