marimba

noun

ma·​rim·​ba mə-ˈrim-bə How to pronounce marimba (audio)
: a xylophone of southern Africa and Central America with resonators beneath each bar
also : a modern form of this instrument
marimbist
mə-ˈrim-bist How to pronounce marimba (audio)
noun

Examples of marimba in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tone continues to be placid, the plunky marimba and steel drum score remains the same, and the performances only grow to feel even more remarkably lived-in as the severity of the situation clicks into place. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026 And, of course, Buffett himself arrives, accompanied by his longtime percussionist Eric Darken on the marimba and a bar full of cheering friends, to reprise the chorus in a voice that is more talky and less twangy than Jackson’s. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 In the image of Messier 94, a spiral galaxy that’s also known as NGC 4736, Chandra’s X-ray data becomes a whistling wind while dense features such as neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes ring in crystalline tones from a glass marimba. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 4 July 2026 The series has developed a reputation for keeping children glued to the screen, as seen in videos that have gone viral on social media of babies bolting to the television upon hearing the marimba theme song. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for marimba

Word History

Etymology

of Bantu origin; akin to Kimbundu marimba xylophone

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marimba was in 1704

Browse Nearby Words

Marikina
marimba
marimba gong
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Marimba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marimba. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

marimba

noun
ma·​rim·​ba mə-ˈrim-bə How to pronounce marimba (audio)
: a musical instrument resembling a xylophone but with tubes under each bar to help increase the sound

More from Merriam-Webster on marimba

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about marimba

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