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chorus

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chorus¹

  • /ˈkɔːɹəs/ UK
  • /ˈkoɹəs/ Canada, US
  • /ˈkoːɹəs/ Australia, New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɔːɹəs

Where it comes from

The noun is borrowed from Medieval Latin chorus (“church choir”), Latin chorus (“group of dancers and singers; dance”), from Ancient Greek χορός (khorós, “group of dancers and singers, choir, chorus; dance accompanied by song; round dance”); The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of choir, chore, and hora.

noun choruses · chorusses · chori

  1. historical A group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who commented on the main performance in speech or song. [W]ee would that the voice and dialect of the propheteſſe Pythia, reſembling the ſpeech of a Chorus in a tragedie from a ſcaffold, ſhould pronounce her anſwers not in ſimple, plaine, and triviall termes, without any grace to ſet them out, but with Poeticall magnificence of high and ſtately verſes, d
  2. historical A song performed by the singers of such a group. And the Apocalyps of Saint Iohn is the majeſtick image of a high and ſtately Tragedy, ſhutting up and intermingling her ſolemn Scenes and Acts with a ſevenfold Chorus of halleluja's and harping ſymphonies: […]
  3. UK, broadly, historical An actor who reads the prologue and epilogue of a play, and sometimes also acts as a commentator or narrator; also, a portion of a play read by this actor. Enter Chorus. / Cut is the branch that might haue growne ful ſtraight, / And burned is Apolloes Laurel bough, / That ſometime grew within this learned man: […]
  4. A group of singers performing together; a choir; specifically, such a group singing together in a musical, an opera, etc., as distinct from the soloists; an ensemble. The performance of the chorus was awe-inspiring and exhilarating.
  5. broadly A group of people in a performance who recite together.
  6. An instance of singing by a group of people. But once out of sight of those fearful precincts, the psalm was forgotten, and again broke, loud, clear, and silvery, the joyous chorus.
  7. collective, noun A group of angels, or of types of angels like seraphim.
  8. figuratively A group of people, animals, or inanimate objects who make sounds together. a chorus of crickets    a chorus of whiners
  9. figuratively The noise or sound made by such a group. a chorus of shouts and catcalls
  10. figuratively A group of people who express a unanimous opinion. So far, more than a dozen EU countries have either enacted a windfall tax or said they’re planning to. […] On Monday, US President Joe Biden joined the chorus, accusing oil companies of “war profiteering” and threatening them with big new levies if they fail to bring down consumer prices.
  11. figuratively The opinion expressed by such a group. On Friday, 75 scholars and clinicians signed an open letter, joining a chorus of disagreement with Berenson by arguing that “establishing marijuana as a causal link to violence at the individual level is both theoretically and empirically problematic”.
  12. A piece of music, especially one in a larger work such as an opera, written to be sung by a choir in parts (for example, by sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses).
  13. A part of a song which is repeated between verses to emphasize the song's content; a refrain. The catchiest part of most songs is the chorus.
  14. The main part of a pop song played after the introduction.
  15. A group of organ pipes or organ stops intended to be played simultaneously; a compound stop; also, the sound made by such pipes or stops.
  16. attributive, often A feature or setting in electronic music that makes one instrument sound like many.
  17. A simple, often repetitive, song intended to be sung in a group during informal worship.
  18. The improvised solo section in a small group performance. Of additional interest is the riff in the second chorus, which was later copied by Joe Garland and recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra as "In the Mood," becoming the biggest hit of the Swing Era.

verb choruses · chorusses · chorusing · chorussing · chorused

  1. transitive To sing (a song), express (a sentiment), or recite or say (words) in chorus. In the middle of the little woody bay, or rather basin, which received the scanty waters of the stream, an armed sloop lay at anchor, and he heard the din of license and carousal on board,—the hasty oath—the hearty laugh—and the boisterous song, chorussed by a score of rough voices, which made the b

    Similar: duet

  2. transitive To express concurrence with (something said by another person); to echo. "Yes," said the king; "Come, Hop-Frog, lend us your assistance. Characters, my fine fellow; we stand in need of characters—all of us—ha! ha! ha!" and as this was seriously meant for a joke, his laugh was chorused by the seven.
  3. rare, transitive To provide (a song) with a chorus or refrain. Let ev'ry Song be Choruſt with his Name. / And Muſick pay her Tribute to his Fame.
  4. intransitive To sing the chorus or refrain of a song. 1785, James Boswell, The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson, LL.D, Wednesday, 8th September, 1773, http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/6018/pg6018-images.html Malcolm sung an Erse song, the chorus of which was 'Hatyin foam foam eri', with words of his own. […] the boatmen and Mr M
  5. intransitive To sing, express, or say in, or as if in, unison. Then they all chorus'd upon me—Such a character as Miſs Harlowe's! cry'd one—A lady of ſo much generoſity and good ſenſe! another— […]
  6. intransitive To echo in unison another person's words. Then she shouted: "Viva our Lady of Grace," and the crowd chorused.
  7. intransitive Of animals: to make cries or sounds together. Then the cocks began to crow in the town beneath the hill, and the birds chorused in the fields, and a pale yellow poppy colored the east.

Chorus²

  • /ˈkɔːɹəs/ UK
  • /ˈkɔɹəs/ US

Rhymes with -ɔːɹəs

Where it comes from

From Medieval Latin chorus, Latin chorus, from Ancient Greek χορός (khorós).

proper noun

  1. historical, uncountable A group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who commented on the main performance in speech or song. Enter Chorus. / Cut is the branch that might haue growne ful ſtraight, / And burned is Apolloes Laurel bough, / That ſometime grew within this learned man: […]
  2. historical, uncountable A song performed by the singers of such a group.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: choir, chorus line, refrain, greek chorus, choral, song, singing, tune, chant, concerto, ballet, dance, gig, verse, voice, gathering

Translations

Every language

noun (Ancient Greece, historical) group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who commented on the main performance in speech or s

Españolcoro
한국어합창 hapchang
日本語コーラス kōrasu, 合唱 gasshō
中文合唱 héchàng
Portuguêscoro
Françaischœur antique, chœur
DeutschChor
Ελληνικάχορός chorós
Русскийхор xor
Tiếng Việthợp xướng
العربيةكَوْرَس kawras, كُورَس kōras

noun group of singers performing together — see also choir

Españolcoro
日本語合唱隊 gasshōtai
Portuguêscoro
Françaischœur
DeutschChor
Ελληνικάχορωδία chorodía
Русскийхор xor

noun group of people in a performance who recite together

Españolcoro
Portuguêscoro
Françaischœur, chorale
DeutschChor
Ελληνικάχορός chorós
Русскийхор xor

noun part of a song repeated between verses — see also refrain

Españolcoro, estribillo, contera, ritornelo
한국어후렴 huryeom, 리프레인 ripeurein
日本語コーラス kōrasu, リフレーン rifurēn
中文副歌 fùgē, 高潮 gāocháo
हिन्दीकोरस koras
Portuguêsrefrão
Françaisrefrain
DeutschRefrain, Kehrreim
Italianoritornello
Ελληνικάεπωδός epodós
Românărefren
Русскийприпе́в pripév, рефре́н refrén
Tiếng Việtđiệp khúc
العربيةلَازِمَة lāzima, قَرَار qarār

noun feature or setting in electronic music that makes one instrument sound like many

DeutschChorus

verb to sing the chorus or refrain of a song

Españolcorear

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Cite this
MLA

"chorus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/chorus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

chorus. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/chorus

Chicago

"chorus." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/chorus.

BibTeX
@misc{chorus_2026,
  title = {chorus},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/chorus},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}