music
gb/mjˈuzɪk/ us/mjˈuzɪk/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
art of arranging sounds
Sounds made by voices or instruments, arranged in a way that is pleasant to listen to.
Usage pattern:
listen to [music]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'music' (uncountable) with 'a music'. The correct form is 'a piece of music' or 'a song'.
Synonyms
melody (Refers more specifically to a sequence of notes forming a tune, not the broader art form.)
|
song (Usually refers to a single piece of music with lyrics, not all music in general.)
Antonyms
silence (The absence of sound; opposite of music's presence of organized sound.)
Collocations
classical music
|pop music
|live music
|background music
|music festival
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|culture
|arts_entertainment
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She enjoys listening to classical music in the evenings.
- The restaurant played soft background music during dinner.
- Music can change your mood instantly.
- He studied music at the university.
- They danced all night to live music.
Learner examples
- I like to listen to music.
- This song is my favorite music.
- We hear music on the radio.
- She plays music on her phone.
- Music makes me happy.
Noun
B1
entity
2
written musical notation
Notes and symbols on paper that show how to play a piece of music.
Usage pattern:
read [music]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'music' in this sense with 'lyrics', which are the words of a song.
Synonyms
score (A complete written version of a musical composition, often for orchestras.)
Collocations
sheet music
|read music
|music score
Themes
arts
|education
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- She learned to read music when she was six.
- The conductor studied the music before the rehearsal.
- I left my sheet music at home.
- He composed the music for the film and wrote it down.
- The library has a large collection of printed music.
Learner examples
- I can read music.
- He has sheet music for piano.
- She writes music for guitar.
- This is my favorite piece of sheet music.
Grammar
Dictionary form
music
IPA
GB/mjˈuzɪk/
US/mjˈuzɪk/
Syllables & stress
mu - sic (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mu)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: music
- Plural: music
Word family
Expressions
face the same tune
1/fˈeɪs ðə sˈeɪm tˈun/
idiom
informal
share same difficulty as others
To experience the same problem or challenge that others have experienced.
Examples
- After months of easy work, he finally had to face the same tune as his coworkers.
- When the deadline came, everyone faced the same tune.
music to one's ears
1/mjˈuzɪk tə wˈʌnz ˈɪɹz/
idiom
informal
very pleasing information or sound
Something you are very happy to hear.
Examples
- Her praise was music to his ears.
- The news of the promotion was music to my ears.
play by ear
1/plˈeɪ bˈaɪ ˈɪɹ/
idiom
informal
improvise without preparation
To do something without a plan, deciding what to do as you go along. In music, it means playing without reading notes.
Examples
- We don't have a schedule, so we'll just play it by ear.
- He can play the piano by ear without sheet music.
face the music
1/fˈeɪs ðə mjˈuzɪk/
idiom
informal
accept consequences for actions
To accept and deal with something bad that you have caused or that will happen.
Examples
- After lying to his boss, he had to face the music.
- She broke the rules and now she must face the music.
face the music
2/fˈeɪs ðə mjˈuzɪk/
idiom
accept unpleasant consequences
To accept the bad results of something you did.
Examples
- He knew he had to face the music after breaking the rules.
- It's time to face the music and admit your mistake.