jive 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of jivenext
slang
as in double
not being or expressing what one appears to be or express don't give me that jive talk about me being your new best friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jive

2 of 3

noun

ˈjīv How to pronounce jive (audio)
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field a novel that captures dead-on the jive of young Hollywood hipsters

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jive

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to tease
to make fun of in a good-natured way don't be upset—we're just jiving you

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2
as in to joke
to make jokes our team was laughing and jiving after our surprise win

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of jive
Adjective
Born to hand jive, forced to grow up. — Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026 Irwin was paired with Gomez for a jive, and their chemistry was immediately clear to the judges…and their fans. — Glamour, 26 Nov. 2025
Noun
At a crowded hotel bar, three women from County Kerry sit watching couples dance the Irish jive, an upbeat couples dance that resembles the Lindy Hop. — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025 During Week 1, Irwin and his partner Witney Carson charmed audiences with their jive, which was both a high-energy romp and a sweet homage to the family's outdoorsman history. — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
The high school musical romance Grease hand-jived its way into theaters during the summer of 1978. — Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026 There’s no games, no shucking and jiving, everybody is really bringing their A-game. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for jive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jive
  1. double
  2. terminology
  3. tease
  4. joke
  5. fake
  6. dialect
  7. kid
  8. lip
Adjective
  • Travel and tech accessories include a multi zip case, passport sleeve, double zip wash bag, small laptop case, large flat card holder, key ring with leather strap, and sunglasses case.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Sal Frelick robbed Freddie Freeman of a double with a nice running catch in the right center field gap, but an error on a pickoff attempt at first base brought Edman in to score.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of double
Noun
  • Titles, descriptions and other metadata for older videos and podcasts may also be revised to reflect the new terminology, while the original recordings, transcripts and captions will remain unchanged.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That terminology provides a way to identify how a medication is designed without turning the description into a judgment about treatment quality.
    — Emma Clapp, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of terminology
Verb
  • When appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, the Canadian pop singer teased the single.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Mahomes began teasing the collection last week with several posts on her Instagram.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of tease
Verb
  • The photos went viral and inspired memes, with social media users joking that Affleck's exasperated expression summed up the frustrations of 2020.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Unless the industry in question is peak grunge, Fox is joking.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of joke
Adjective
  • When Lee gets to the visitation window, there’s a fake Mekko sitting across from him.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The fake image was attention-grabbing, shady, and timely — in other words, perfect for social media virality but a potential liability for the parties involved.
    — Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • The conflicts are raw and unresolved, and Churchill forces theatergoers to make up their own minds about the characters’ furious dialect.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Documenting many varieties is a way to not just share the language, but to illustrate how dialects of Pennsylvania Dutch differ and maybe even fill in each other’s gaps.
    — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dialect
Verb
  • But kidding aside, AI used in the right way can make people smarter about their health, more so than most realize.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Pursuing big goals while parenting shows kids the value of hard work and resilience.
    — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of kid
Adjective
  • Likewise, lip masks designed to be worn overnight can provide improved hydration and comfort over daytime treatments.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tatianna points to cinnamon as a conductor of heat—one commonly used in lip plumper products to achieve a sultry pout.
    — Essence, Essence, 23 Nov. 2025
Definition of lip

Browse Nearby Words

jittery
jive
jived
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Cite this Entry

“Jive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jive. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on jive

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jive

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