rhumba

1 of 2

noun (1)

rhum·ba

less common spelling of rumba

: 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

rumba

2 of 2

noun (2)

rum·ba ˈrəm-bə

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 rhumba in a Sentence

Noun (2) 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.

Noun

Her camera is alive, quirky, colorful, ready for a rumble or a rhumba. — Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026 The samba, the rhumba, the salsa, a little foxtrot, a little hip-hop, and a little cha-cha-cha. — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023

Noun

Sonically, it’s backed by different components of son and rumba melodies such as yambú, guaguancó, and columbia. — Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 26 Dec. 2025 La Matancera favored elegant three-minute songs that drew from the many shades of Afro-Caribbean music, from rumba to son and calypso. — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rhumba

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

American Spanish

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of rhumba was in 1912

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

rhumb

rhumba

rhumbatron

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Rhumba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhumba. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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rhumba

noun (1)

noun (2)

Examples of rhumba in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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