bass
adjective
low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range.
bass
1 American
[beys]
/ beɪs /
adjective
-
low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range.
a bass voice; a bass instrument.
-
of or relating to the lowest part in harmonic music.
noun
-
the bass part.
-
a bass voice, singer, or instrument.
bass
2
American
[bas]
/ bæs /
noun
-
bass,
plural
-
basses
plural
-
any of numerous edible, spiny-finned, freshwater or marine fishes of the families Serranidae and Centrarchidae.
-
(originally) the European perch, Perca fluviatilis.
Bass
4
American
[bas]
/ bæs /
noun
bass
1
British
/ beɪs /
noun
-
the lowest adult male voice usually having a range from E a 13th below middle C to D a tone above it
-
a singer with such a voice
-
the lowest part in a piece of harmony See also thorough bass
-
informal short for bass guitar double bass
-
-
the low-frequency component of an electrical audio signal, esp in a record player or tape recorder
-
the knob controlling this on such an instrument
-
adjective
-
relating to or denoting the bass
bass pitch
the bass part
-
denoting the lowest and largest instrument in a family
a bass trombone
bass
2
British
/ bæs /
noun
bass
3
British
/ bæs /
noun
-
any of various sea perches, esp Morone labrax , a popular game fish with one large spiny dorsal fin separate from a second smaller one See also sea bass stone bass
-
the European perch See perch 2
-
any of various predatory North American freshwater percoid fishes, such as Micropterus salmoides , ( largemouth bass ): family Centrarchidae (sunfishes, etc)
bass
Cultural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bass1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English bas, bass(e), baas, variant of base 2 with ss of basso
Origin of bass2
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English bas(e), bace, earlier bærs, Old English bærs, bears (with loss of r before s as in ass 2, passel, etc.); cognate with Dutch baars, German Barsch, Old Swedish agh-borre
Origin of bass3
First recorded in 1675–85; variant of bast with unexplained loss of -t
Explanation
A bass sound or instrument is the deepest. If a barbershop quartet sings “Happy Birthday” to you, the guy with the lowest voice is singing the bass part. A bass is also a type of saltwater fish. The word bass has two main meanings with separate pronunciations — bass with a high vowel sound (like base) ironically refers to very low sounds — bass instruments and singers are in the lowest part of the musical range, like the low rumble of a bass guitar. If you say bass with a low vowel sound, it's a type of fish. That kind of bass doesn’t add much to a harmony but is delicious with mashed potatoes.
Vocabulary lists containing bass
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
State Historic Park into sites of flashing lights, booming bass and countless sweaty bodies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Image: Punks with Dolly and Harriet, featuring Ian Anderson who became the singer with Crazyhead, and Robber Byker who went on to be the bass player with Gaye Bykers on Acid.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
With A.B. on bass, Suzette on drums and Selena as the tender vocalist, the group would eventually sign their first recording contract with Freddie Records in 1984.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
"I can't read instruction manuals, but I've watched YouTube tutorials," he says, generating a growling bass line that sounds like the dawning of the apocalypse.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
I pass on the soup and salad, and order Chilean sea bass.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on X that she was in touch with fire personnel on the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Bass contends the city’s emergency preparedness is now “light years better” than when the fire broke out, while still advocating for a larger Fire Department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Bass, who was scorned for being out of town during the January 2025 Palisades fire despite high wind warnings, did slightly better with 18%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Mayor Bass was front and center behind the banner of the shore workers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
Led by Bass and staffed by scientists, researchers, engineers, and people from many other disciplines, the INA has been a leading force in underwater archaeology.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The number of electric guitars and basses sold declined an estimated 4% last year in the U.S., according to data from industry publication Music Trades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
The very, very quiet violas, cellos and basses opening Dvorák’s “New World” Symphony had a soul-filling robustness that even the best headphones couldn’t match.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2025
But as the basses and drums come in, she can feel it through her feet: "You can feel it reverberating through you because it's so powerful."
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2024
As the lights dimmed, a single E-flat, sustained by the double basses, emerged out of the silence.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
It was easier for Chester to play the ones written for tenors than the ones for sopranos, contraltos, and basses, but he did them all beautifully.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
