jazz
1 of 2noun
ˈjaz 
often attributive
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
: similar but unspecified things : stuff
that wind, and the waves, and all that jazz
John Updike
John Updike3
: empty talk : humbug
spouted all the scientific jazz Pete Martin
Pete Martin jazzlike
ˈjaz-ˌlīk
adjective jazz
2 of 2verb
jazzed; jazzing; jazzes
transitive verb
1
a
: enliven —usually used with up
b
: accelerate
2
: to play in the manner of jazz
intransitive verb
1
: to go here and there : gad
2
: to dance to or play jazz
Synonyms
Noun
- applesauce [slang]
- balderdash
- baloney
- boloney
- beans
- bilge
- blah
- blah-blah
- blarney
- blather
- blatherskite
- blither
- bosh
- bull [slang]
- bunk
- bunkum
- buncombe
- claptrap
- codswallop [British]
- crapola [slang]
- crock
- drivel
- drool
- fiddle
- fiddle-faddle
- fiddlesticks
- flannel [British]
- flapdoodle
- folderol
- falderal
- folly
- foolishness
- fudge
- garbage
- guff
- hogwash
- hokeypokey
- hokum
- hoodoo
- hooey
- horsefeathers [slang]
- humbug
- humbuggery
- malarkey
- malarky
- moonshine
- muck
- nerts [slang]
- nonsense
- nuts
- piffle
- poppycock
- punk
- rot
- rubbish
- senselessness
- silliness
- slush
- stupidity
- taradiddle
- tarradiddle
- tommyrot
- tosh
- trash
- trumpery
- twaddle
Verb
- amp (up)
- animate
- brace
- energize
- enliven
- fillip
- fire
- ginger (up)
- invigorate
- juice up
- jump-start
- liven (up)
- pep (up)
- quicken
- spike
- stimulate
- vitalize
- vivify
- zip (up)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun What's all this jazz about you leaving? She loves hiking, biking, and all that jazz.
Recent Examples on the Web Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2022 The band’s repertoire is diverse and genres include Americana, jazz, contemporary rock, pop, country and salsa. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 At the moment, Atim is developing a screenplay inspired by her Ugandan background, in between running an informal salon for British creatives and writing more of her own music, which fuses jazz, hip-hop, and classical influences. Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2022 This year’s lineup will include a healthy mix of jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass punk, classical, Latin, and more. Katie Mogg, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022 Pigments is described as one long composition filled with various movements that blend jazz, classical, and ambient elements together. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2022 He’ll be joined by Jack Williams, who’s had a long career playing jazz, classical, rock and R&B in addition to folk, and Lee Murdock, who sings songs centered on the Great Lakes region. Jeff Banowetz, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2022 Other charts measure traditional and contemporary jazz, and traditional and crossover classical music, both together and in the more specific genres themselves. Billboard Staff, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2022 Ether Short Park in downtown Vancouver hosts internationally acclaimed jazz, blues, gospel and pop musicians during this annual event. Rosemarie Stein | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 24 Aug. 2022 Joan Elovitz Kazan, Journal Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2022 Famed banjo player Béla Fleck will also be on hand, as will jazz artists Charles Lloyd, Christian McBride, and William Parker. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2022 It will be followed by Boyz II Men on June 25 and an all-star tribute to jazz giant Thelonious Monk on June 26. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2022 Could jazz improvisation be a key to understanding how the brain invents? Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 9 June 2022 Both of these recipes are simple and flexible, easy to jazz up with some whole-grain flours (again, my kid has radar for these types of things despite my best efforts to introduce them to him) or special add-ins. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 For a more casual look, as in the Bottega Veneta show, couple a white tank with blue jeans—or, in Bottega’s case, leather pants that look like jeans—and jazz things up with bold accessories. Sarah Adams, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 In an interview with Rolling Stone last July, Aespa spoke about their swift rise to fame and the myriad of influences that inspire their music — which includes everything from older Korean songs to jazz and Stevie Wonder to Blink-182 and Beyoncé. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2022 If plain water bores you, jazz it up with fruits and herbs. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 27 July 2022 See More
Noun
The event, hosted by Ellicott City Partnership, kicks off Friday at 5:30 p.m., and continues Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., with artists performing a range of music, including acoustic, Americana, blues, funk, jazz, rock and soul. Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun, 13 Sep. 2022 The band’s repertoire is diverse and genres include Americana, jazz, contemporary rock, pop, country and salsa. Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 At the moment, Atim is developing a screenplay inspired by her Ugandan background, in between running an informal salon for British creatives and writing more of her own music, which fuses jazz, hip-hop, and classical influences. Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2022 This year’s lineup will include a healthy mix of jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass punk, classical, Latin, and more. Katie Mogg, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022 Pigments is described as one long composition filled with various movements that blend jazz, classical, and ambient elements together. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2022 He’ll be joined by Jack Williams, who’s had a long career playing jazz, classical, rock and R&B in addition to folk, and Lee Murdock, who sings songs centered on the Great Lakes region. Jeff Banowetz, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2022 Other charts measure traditional and contemporary jazz, and traditional and crossover classical music, both together and in the more specific genres themselves. Billboard Staff, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2022 Ether Short Park in downtown Vancouver hosts internationally acclaimed jazz, blues, gospel and pop musicians during this annual event. Rosemarie Stein | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 24 Aug. 2022 Verb
They might be motivated by convenience, availability of ingredients or simply to jazz up a recipe. Joan Elovitz Kazan, Journal Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2022 Famed banjo player Béla Fleck will also be on hand, as will jazz artists Charles Lloyd, Christian McBride, and William Parker. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2022 It will be followed by Boyz II Men on June 25 and an all-star tribute to jazz giant Thelonious Monk on June 26. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2022 Could jazz improvisation be a key to understanding how the brain invents? Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 9 June 2022 Both of these recipes are simple and flexible, easy to jazz up with some whole-grain flours (again, my kid has radar for these types of things despite my best efforts to introduce them to him) or special add-ins. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2022 For a more casual look, as in the Bottega Veneta show, couple a white tank with blue jeans—or, in Bottega’s case, leather pants that look like jeans—and jazz things up with bold accessories. Sarah Adams, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022 In an interview with Rolling Stone last July, Aespa spoke about their swift rise to fame and the myriad of influences that inspire their music — which includes everything from older Korean songs to jazz and Stevie Wonder to Blink-182 and Beyoncé. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2022 If plain water bores you, jazz it up with fruits and herbs. Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 27 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
origin unknown
First Known Use
Noun
1913, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb
1915, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Phrases Containing jazz
Kids Definition
jazz
noun
ˈjaz
: a type of American music with lively rhythms and melodies that are often made up by musicians as they play
jazz
noun
as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense don't give me that jazz about how you didn't know that it was illegal Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- nuts
- garbage
- nonsense
- punk
- blah
- rubbish
- stupidity
- silliness
- drool
- beans
- fiddle
- bunk
- trash
- fudge
- muck
- craziness
- baloney
- balderdash
- flapdoodle
- folderol
- foolishness
- twaddle
- hokum
- insanity
- claptrap
- humbuggery
- crock
- fiddlesticks
- bull
- hoodoo
- bilge
- madness
- rot
- malarkey
- greek
- blither
- tosh
- blatherskite
- blather
- piffle
- applesauce
- guff
- boloney
- bosh
- malarky
- bunkum
- fiddle-faddle
- falderal
- hogwash
- nerts
- tarradiddle
- trumpery
- horsefeathers
- blah-blah
- hokeypokey
- flannel
- drivel
- blarney
- tommyrot
- moonshine
- poppycock
- hooey
- taradiddle
- absurdity
- humbug
- crapola
- codswallop
- buncombe
- gas
- folly
- slush
- monkey business
- idiocy
- inaneness
- senselessness
- absurdness
- tomfoolery
- inanity
- foolery
- kookiness
- imbecility
- lunacy
- monkeyshine(s)
- hot air
- rigmarole
- witlessness
- fatuity
- hoity-toity
- rigamarole
- shenanigan(s)
- asininity
- hocus-pocus
- double-talk
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rationality
- horse sense
- sense
- sensibleness
- reasonableness
- reasonability
- levelheadedness
- wisdom
- judgment
- judgement
- discernment
- common sense