mambo

noun

mam·​bo ˈmäm-(ˌ)bō How to pronounce mambo (audio)
plural mambos
: a ballroom dance of Cuban origin that resembles the rumba and the cha-cha
also : the music for this dance
mambo intransitive verb

Examples of mambo in a Sentence

They learned to dance the mambo. The band played a mambo.
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.
Lamar’s performance of his slanderous mambo was the only real moment of drama and tension amid the Philadelphia Eagles’ unaesthetic beatdown of the Kansas City Chiefs. Armin Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025 It was also used as a marketing portmanteau name for mambo, guaracha and guajira played in New York from the ‘50s. John Hopewell, Variety, 15 July 2025 With Elvis Crespo at the helm, the project immerses listeners in his signature genres of spirited merengue, lively mambo and infectious bachata. Luisa Calle, Billboard, 6 June 2025 To rock your hips through the mambo like dancers at the Palladium Ballroom in the ’50s? Yuvraj Khanna, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mambo

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mambo was in 1946

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mambo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mambo. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mambo

noun
mam·​bo ˈmäm-bō How to pronounce mambo (audio)
plural mambos
: a dance of Haitian origin related to the rumba
mambo verb

More from Merriam-Webster on mambo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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