rhythm

[ rith-uhm ]

noun

1. movement or procedure with uniform or patterned recurrence of a beat, accent, or the like.
2. Music.
   1. the pattern of regular or irregular pulses caused in music by the occurrence of strong and weak melodic and harmonic beats:

      She taught us the song, tapping out the rhythm for us on the table.

   2. a particular form of this:

      duple rhythm; triple rhythm.

3. measured movement, as in dancing.
4. Art, Literature. a patterned repetition of a motif, formal element, etc., at regular or irregular intervals in the same or a modified form:

   I loved the pattern and rhythm of her story, with the repeating line about ancestors being proud of her actions.

5. the effect produced in a play, film, novel, etc., by the combination or arrangement of formal elements, as length of scenes, speech and description, timing, or recurrent themes, to create movement, tension, and emotional value in the development of the plot.
6. Prosody.
   1. metrical or rhythmical form; meter; cadence:

      Most of her poems are free verse and do not follow a strict rhythm.

   2. a particular kind of metrical form:

      Iambic rhythm has been the principal mode of English poetry since Chaucer.

   3. metrical movement.
7. the pattern of recurrent strong and weak accents, vocalization and silence, and the distribution and combination of these elements in speech.
8. Physiology. the regular recurrence of an action or function, as of the beat of the heart, or the menstrual cycle:

   Waking up at the same time each day is good for your circadian rhythm—your 24-hour "body clock."

9. procedure marked by the regular recurrence of particular elements, phases, etc.:

   the rhythm of the seasons.

   Synonyms: cadence, pulse, flow

10. regular recurrence of elements in a system of motion.

rhythm

/ ˈrɪðəm /

noun

1. 1. the arrangement of the relative durations of and accents on the notes of a melody, usually laid out into regular groups ( bars ) of beats, the first beat of each bar carrying the stress
   2. any specific arrangement of such groupings; time

      quadruple rhythm

2. in poetry
   1. the arrangement of words into a more or less regular sequence of stressed and unstressed or long and short syllables
   2. any specific such arrangement; metre
3. (in painting, sculpture, architecture, etc) a harmonious sequence or pattern of masses alternating with voids, of light alternating with shade, of alternating colours, etc
4. any sequence of regularly recurring functions or events, such as the regular recurrence of certain physiological functions of the body, as the cardiac rhythm of the heartbeat

rhythm

1. The “beat” of music; the regular pattern of long and short notes. Certain kinds of music, such as blues or marches, have a very characteristic rhythm. Rhythm, harmony , and melody are elements of music.

Derived Forms

• ˈrhythmless, adjective

Other Words From

• rhythm·less adjective
• non·rhythm noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhythm¹

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin rhythmus, from Greek rhythmós; compare rheîn “to flow”

Word History and Origins

Origin of rhythm¹

C16: from Latin rhythmus , from Greek rhuthmos ; related to rhein to flow

Example Sentences

“The songs are basically in single takes unless there’s a location change that I did not anticipate. Even if it’s not yet dance, it’s still choreographed because there’s a musical rhythm to everything that’s happening.”

From Los Angeles Times

Do New York rhythm sections really play with a harder-edged swing than players from the rest of the country?

From Los Angeles Times

Form and content are inextricably bound in a musical that melds elements of Kabuki and Bunraku with the rhythms of American musical theater.

From Los Angeles Times

You have to spend time you might otherwise spend on your craft learning the choreography of value, the narrative of negotiation, the rhythm of revenue.

From Salon

And President Joe Biden said he was "a musical genius who transformed the soul of America – one beat, one rhythm, and one rhyme at a time".

From BBC

Related Words

• cadence
• flow
• movement
• pattern
• pulse
• swing
• tempo