samba

[sam-buh, sahm-] / ˈsæm bə, ˈsɑm- /

NOUN

dance

Synonyms

STRONGEST

disco tango waltz

STRONG

Charleston boogie conga foxtrot frolic hop hustle jig jitter jitterbug jive jump leap one-step promenade rhumba spin step swing tap twist two-step

WEAK

boogie down bunny hop cut a rug foot it get down rock n' roll trip the light fantastic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The performances are judged over 10 categories by a total of 40 judges, with the top 12 samba schools competing for the title.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Paulinha Peixoto, 39, who leads the samba dancers, known for striking outfits and dizzying footwork, said putting on a show was "a team effort".

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

One of the composers of the samba told local media that Lula had cried when Academicos leaders travelled to Brasilia last year to play the song for him.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

And former Lioness and sports broadcaster Karen Carney and Carlos Gu took on the samba, dancing to The Rhythm Of Life from Sweet Charity.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

At the Pacific Rim Championships in April 2016, I debuted a brand-new, upgraded floor routine set to fast, upbeat samba music that I thought would go over well with the crowd in Rio.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Vocabulary lists containing samba

South America - Middle School

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South America - Introductory

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South America - High School

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