Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

in the groove

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.74 in modern English

Syllables: in- the -groove
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Running or performing extremely smoothly.

Colloquial

prep_phrase

Playing perfectly, perfectly in sync with others, or with perfect focus.

Slang

prep_phrase

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see in, groove.

Example Sentences

"The jazz musicians gave no grandstand performances; they simply got a great burn from playing in the groove."
"The whole course of legislation... had flowed in the same groove for centuries."
"[…] having such a wonderful time which puts me in a groove […]"
"There's a time in everybody's life when they know precisely what is right. And when I was doing that, when I was in the groove, I knew exactly what was right."

Etymology

Originally slang that first appeared in the mid-19th century with a (usually pejorative) reference to the difficulty of leaving a well-worn rut (see in a rut). As back in the groove, the phrase acquired a positive sense of returning to one's usual self after a period of illness, setbacks, etc. With special regard for music, originally US jazz slang from the 1920s, possibly with reference to the grooves of early records.

Usage

Frequently Paired Words

groovy

Synonyms

in the pocket in the zone

Questions

What does in the groove mean?: Running or performing extremely smoothly.
Where does in the groove come from?: Originally slang that first appeared in the mid-19th century with a (usually pejorative) reference to the difficulty of leaving a well-worn rut (see in a rut). As back in the groove, the phrase acquired a positive sense of returning to one's usual self after a period of illness, setbacks, etc. With special regard for music, originally US jazz slang from the 1920s, possibly with reference to the grooves of early records.

How to pronounce in the groove

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