1
a
: American music developed especially from ragtime and blues and characterized by propulsive syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre
b
: popular dance music influenced by jazz and played in a loud rhythmic manner
2
: jazz dance
takes classes in ballet, tap, and jazz
… No, jazz dance is not dead. Jazz in the twenty-first century is a mix of roots and fruits of the form, traditions, progressions, and transgressions.—
Melanie George
—often used before another nounMelanie Georgea jazz dancer
jazz choreography
3
: similar but unspecified things : stuff
I love the life of the open sea. It's so … free, that wind, and the waves, and all that jazz.—John Updike
John Updike4
: empty talk : nonsense sense 1b(1)
Don't give me that jazz about guys still fighting for jobs. Please. If it's this close to the regular season and you're still fighting for a roster spot … your odds of having a long NFL career are less than slim.—Tom Jones
Tom JonesExamples of jazz in a Sentence
Noun
What's all this jazz about you leaving?
She loves hiking, biking, and all that jazz.
Verb
your assignment is to jazz up the design of that Web page
Recent Examples on the Web
Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2025
Al Foster, the jazz drummer who played in bands led by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, among others, has died.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 1 June 2025
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 7 May 2025
These bars trace their lineage back a hundred years or so to jazz kissa cafe culture in Japan, where listening to jazz records through high-fidelity equipment brings music to the forefront.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jazz
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Noun
They were also assisted by actress Katherine McNamara on vocals and jazz musicians Adeev and Ezra Potash, who played horned instruments, and songwriter Philip Bowen, who played the fiddle.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2025
Al Foster, the jazz drummer who played in bands led by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, among others, has died.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 1 June 2025
Verb
Crisp and spotless the look, designed by Wales Bonner, was also a tribute to jazz great Cab Calloway and the style born of the Harlem Renaissance.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 7 May 2025
These bars trace their lineage back a hundred years or so to jazz kissa cafe culture in Japan, where listening to jazz records through high-fidelity equipment brings music to the forefront.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jazz
Cite this Entry
“Jazz.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jazz. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jazz
2 of 2 verb1
: enliven
—usually used with up
2
: to play in the manner of jazz
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