rumba

noun

rum·​ba ˈrəm-bə How to pronounce rumba (audio)
ˈru̇m-, 
ˈrüm-
variants or less commonly rhumba
: a ballroom dance of Cuban origin in ²/₄ or ⁴/₄ time with a basic pattern of step-close-step and marked by a delayed transfer of weight and pronounced hip movements
also : the music for this dance

Examples of rumba in a Sentence

The band played a rumba.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Among the instruments those mento bands played, alongside their guitars and shakers, was a wood-and-iron thumb piano that’s known in Jamaica as a rumba box, which closely resembles the instrument, from Central Africa, best known as an mbira. — Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026 Basically, the actors are on the stage the entire time, like in a Spanish rumba. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 2 Aug. 2026 The ringtone was a rumba song by Spanish band Los Desgraciaus called Los Coches Chocones. — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 27 May 2026 Like almost all modern iterations of music, the genre of Catalan rumba has evolved alongside streaming-era influences and the younger generations of musicians who have taken up its sonic essences and distilled them through their own lenses. — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for rumba

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rumba was in 1912

Browse Nearby Words

Rumansch
rumba
rumble
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rumba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rumba. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

rumba

noun
rum·​ba ˈrəm-bə How to pronounce rumba (audio)
ˈru̇m-
: a dance of Cuban origin

More from Merriam-Webster on rumba

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rumba

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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