What does "bass" mean?
A low spectrum of sound tones.
Bass
/beɪs/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A low spectrum of sound tones.
- Grammar: bass is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bass voice, basso, a string, accompaniment.
- Useful contrasts: baritone, countertenor, countertenors.
- Usage evidence: George was describing a 30 pound bass he'd caught recently after fighting it for three hours.
How to use "bass"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bass" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bass" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bass" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bass" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bass" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bass voice" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bass", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A low spectrum of sound tones.
"Peter adjusted the equalizer on his audio equipment to emphasize the bass."
- 2 The perch; any of various marine and freshwater fish resembling the perch, all within the order of Perciformes. countable, uncountable
- 3 The fibrous inner bark of the linden or lime tree, used for making mats. countable, uncountable
- 4 nontechnical name for any of numerous edible marine and freshwater spiny-finned fishes wordnet
- 5 A section of a musical group that produces low-pitched sound, lower than the baritone and tenor.
"The conductor preferred to situate the bass in the middle rear, rather than to one side of the orchestra."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 Fibers from other plants, especially palm trees countable, uncountable
- 7 the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments wordnet
- 8 One who sings in the bass range.
"Halfway through middle school, Edgar morphed from a soprano to a bass, much to the amazement and amusement of his fellow choristers."
- 9 Anything made from such fibers, such as a hassock, basket or thick mat. countable, uncountable
"BASS, 1, a door mat"
- 10 the lowest part of the musical range wordnet
- 11 An instrument that plays in the bass range, in particular a double bass, bass guitar, electric bass or bass synthesiser.
"The musician swung the bass over his head like an axe and smashed it into the amplifier, creating a discordant howl of noise."
- 12 the lowest adult male singing voice wordnet
- 13 The clef sign that indicates that the pitch of the notes is below middle C; a bass clef.
"The score had been written without the treble and bass, but it was easy to pick out which was which based on the location of the notes on the staff."
- 14 the lowest part in polyphonic music wordnet
- 15 any of various North American freshwater fish with lean flesh (especially of the genus Micropterus) wordnet
- 16 the lean flesh of a saltwater fish of the family Serranidae wordnet
- 17 an adult male singer with the lowest voice wordnet
Verb
- 1 To sound in a deep tone.
"[…] and the Thunder (That deepe and dreadfull Organ-Pipe) pronounc'd The name of Proſper : it did baſe my Treſpaſſe"
Adjective
- 1 Of sound, a voice or an instrument, low in pitch or frequency.
"The giant spoke in a deep, bass, rumbling voice that shook me to my boots."
Adjective
- 1 having or denoting a low vocal or instrumental range wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A place name:; A rural town in Bass Coast Shire, Victoria, Australia, named after George Bass.
- 3 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Jackson County, Alabama.
- 4 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Newton County, Arkansas.
- 5 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Casey County, Kentucky.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Cole County, Missouri.
- 7 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Hardy County, West Virginia, named for the presence of bass (fish) in the local creek.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"George was describing a 30 pound bass he'd caught recently after fighting it for three hours."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bass"?
Common synonyms include: bass voice, basso, a string, accompaniment, alto, amati.
How do you use "bass" in a sentence?
George was describing a 30 pound bass he'd caught recently after fighting it for three hours.
How do you pronounce "bass"?
Pronounced /beɪs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
A respelling of base under the influence of Italian basso (“low”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English bace, bas, alteration of bars, from Old English bærs (“a fish, perch”), from Proto-West Germanic *bars, from Proto-Germanic *barsaz (“perch”, literally “prickly”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰórsos (“prickle, thorn, scale”). Cognate with Dutch baars (“perch, bass”), German Barsch (“perch”). More at barse.
Etymology 3
A corruption of bast.