jive
jive Lexical Profile
jive Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A lively, fast-paced style of dance popular in the 1940s and 1950s, performed to swing music or rock and roll, or the upbeat music itself.
"The dancers took to the floor and performed an energetic jive that captivated the audience."
North American Deceptive, foolish, or exaggerated talk (used informally).
"The seasoned manager wasn't fooled by the salesman's smooth jive."
American A colorful form of slang originally associated with jazz musicians and African American vernacular culture.
"Early jazz musicians developed a distinctive jive that soon entered mainstream American speech."
• verb
North American To be in accord, harmony, or agreement with something (used informally).
"His version of events doesn't quite jive with the financial records we reviewed."
To dance the jive, or to play lively swing or jazz music.
"Couples were jiving across the dance floor as the big band played."
North American To talk nonsense to someone, or to tease or deceive someone in a playful or insincere manner (used informally).
"Stop jiving me and tell me what really happened at the meeting."
• adjective
American Deceitful, insincere, or worthless (used informally).
"Nobody believed his jive excuses for missing the rehearsal."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a verb meaning 'to agree or be in harmony with,' 'jive' is frequently used in informal American English as a variant of 'jibe,' though strict usage guides prefer 'jibe' in formal writing.
• Rhymes for jive
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 1920s in African American vernacular English, the word is of uncertain origin, though some linguists suggest a connection to the Wolof word 'jev,' meaning 'to talk disparagingly,' or an alteration of English 'gibe.'