1
: the act or art of singing
2
: poetical composition
3
a
: a short musical composition of words and music
b
: a collection of such compositions
4
: a distinctive or characteristic sound or series of sounds (as of a bird, insect, or whale)
5
a
: a melody for a lyric poem or ballad
b
: a poem easily set to music
6
a
: a habitual or characteristic manner
b
: a violent, abusive, or noisy reaction
put up quite a song
7
: a small amount
sold for a song
songlike adjective

Examples of song in a Sentence

He sang a love song. The song was playing on the radio. The event was celebrated in song by a folk group. I could hear the song of a sparrow.
Recent Examples on the Web For season three, Bareilles wrote the song that Dawn sings at the end of the group’s tour performance. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Mar. 2024 The original song by the Spanish duo, released in December 2023, boasts more than 10 million streams on Spotify. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2024 Karaoke became a Japanese obsession in the 1970s, associated with hard-drinking salarymen kicking back after work with sake and song. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 Is this night song repeated over and over by a single robin a form of religious service for all robins in the area to their Sun God? — David ONeil, South Windsor, Conn. Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The pair have been engaged since 2015 but, aside from his song lyrics, the rapper rarely speaks about their relationship. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Listen to the title track—a cover of Rodney Crowell’s 2019 Texas song—below. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 15 Mar. 2024 Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 The song is from Porter’s upcoming debut album, Nobody’s Born With a Broken Heart, out April 26 on Big Loud Records. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'song.' 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

Middle English, from Old English sang; akin to Old English singan to sing

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of song was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near song

Cite this Entry

“Song.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/song. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

song

noun
1
: the act or art of singing
2
: poetical composition : poetry
3
: a short piece of music with words intended to be sung
4
: a characteristic sound or series of sounds (as of a bird)
5
a
: a melody for a lyric poem or ballad
b
: a poem easily set to music
6
: a small amount
can be bought for a song

More from Merriam-Webster on song

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