variants
or less commonly hip hop
or hiphop
1
a
: a stylized rhythmic music of African American origin that typically features rapping (see rap entry 6 sense 2) over synthesized beats (see beat entry 2 sense 4d) or sampled tracks
… the first bits of hip-hop were born out of DJs breaking apart funk and disco beats … until all that was left was the percussion, cut up into small, danceable portions for the people in the audience to sweat to.—
Hanif Abdurraqib
Hanif Abdurraqib… hip hop has become a form reflecting both the beauty and the belly of the beast in American society, refracted through the lens of black American culture.—Imani Perry
Imani PerryThe music that Charanga plays is … a combination of jazz and rumba spiced with reggae, funk and hiphop.—Silvana Paternostro
—often used before another nounSilvana Paternostrohip-hop artists
a hip hop song
b
or hip-hop dance
or less commonly hip hop dance
or hiphop dance
: syncopated dancing typically performed to hip-hop music
For decades, Harris has been swerving away from stereotypes and expectations of hip-hop dance, all while staying true to its roots.—Brian Seibert
Brian Seibert… an untapped market of people wanting to learn hiphop dance.—Nick Vogel
Nick VogelUnlike the verticality of classical dance … hip-hop uses a horizontal body, dissonance, and ragged gesture juxtaposed with a cool, relaxed, laid-back attitude.—Karen Lynn Smith
—often used before another nounKaren Lynn Smitha hip-hop dance group/crew
… a dance team that performs hip-hop routines at most weekend home games …—Gina Cherelus
Gina Cherelus2
: a cultural movement associated especially with rap music
In one sense, hip-hop had triumphed over America. … No matter the race, class, or geography, the kids wore the same clothes, spoke the same language, listened to the same music.—Jeff Chang
Jeff ChangIn my elementary school years, everyone I knew around my age loved hip-hop. … I loved every aspect of the culture and tried my hand at all of it.—Rakim
—often used before another nounRakimthe hip-hop generation
Hip hop culture is a four-legged stool, its artistic pillars of deejaying, graffiti art, rapping, and b-boying coming into existence in the early 1970s and each influencing the ways in which the other evolved.—Jelani Cobb
Jelani CobbExamples of hip-hop in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
India’s hip-hop superstar Hanumankind will also perform.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Four years later, Samara Cyn is one of the rising stars in rap’s rookie class and a breath of fresh air in the genre, boasting an ambitious blend of hip-hop and neo-soul.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 30 May 2025
The region’s hip-hop culture is known for its independence and insular spirit born of a combination of pimp culture, Black Panther ideology, and funk music.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
The Bad Boy Records co-founder was long considered among the most influential figures in the hip-hop industry, amassing hundreds of millions of dollars through his various businesses, including his music and media companies and clothing brand Sean John.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hip-hop
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Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Four years later, Samara Cyn is one of the rising stars in rap’s rookie class and a breath of fresh air in the genre, boasting an ambitious blend of hip-hop and neo-soul.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 30 May 2025
The region’s hip-hop culture is known for its independence and insular spirit born of a combination of pimp culture, Black Panther ideology, and funk music.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 30 May 2025
The Bad Boy Records co-founder was long considered among the most influential figures in the hip-hop industry, amassing hundreds of millions of dollars through his various businesses, including his music and media companies and clothing brand Sean John.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hip-hop
Cite this Entry
“Hip-hop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hip-hop. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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