jive
/ˈd͡ʒaɪv/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.08 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To dance, originally to jive or swing music; later, to jazz, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, disco, etc.
Colloquial; Intransitive verb
noun
Synonym of bullshit: patent nonsense, transparently deceptive talk.
American usage; Colloquial; Countable; Uncountable
noun
African-American Vernacular English.
American usage; Colloquial; Countable; Derogatory; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Don’t try to jive me! I know where you were last night!"
- "It's the year when all of the white politicians will be back in the so-called Negro community jiving you and me for some votes."
- "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life; ooh, see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen!"
- ""Can you flamenco?" "If I have to. How about you?" "Love, I can barely waltz. Jive a bit if I'm pissed enough.""
- "When it was time for stage games, I found myself jiving to Chinese orchestra and *Nsync tunes with my colleague’s sister — one of my “supporters”."
- "Then the loud sound did seem to fade / Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase / That weren't no DJ, that was hazy cosmic jive"
Etymology
Unknown. Slang attested in African-American and rural American culture. Frequently used to imply lying, verbal deception or trickery. Has a possible historical antecedent in gyve (“shackle”). Alternatively, of African origin, compare Wolof jev, jeu (“to talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner”).
Word Breakdown
- Root: jev