There go the twelve bars blues.
Source: tatoeba (22284)
Blues
/bluːz/
Synonyms for "blues" (108 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (22)
Strong matches (32)
Related words (54)
field hollerfolk songfolk songsfrumpsgloomgrumpsheavyheartednesshymenealkunstliedlanguorlassitudelayliebesliedliedliltlove songlove-liltmatinmegrimsmelancholia
Show 27 more words
melancholyminstrel songminstrelsymopesmulligrubsmumpsnational anthemnoelold-time country musicpoutsprothalamiumserenaserenadeserenatasongsudssulkssullensthe bluestheme songtorch songunhappinessuniformvolksliedwar songwedding songwestern swing
Noun(7 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: alba, anthem, art song, aubade, ballad.
- Sentence evidence is available for blues, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "blues".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "blues"
Keep "blues" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "blues" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "blues", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "blues" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
5 entriesChicago bluesDelta bluesTexas bluesblues scaleget the blues
Derivations
2 entriesTranslations
29 translations across 27 languages.
Arabic
2 entries- بَلُوز noun (musical form)
- بْلُوز noun (musical form)
Armenian
1 entries- բլյուզ noun (musical form)
Belarusian
1 entries- блюз noun (musical form)
Bulgarian
1 entries- блус noun (musical form)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 布魯斯 /布鲁斯 noun (musical form)
- 藍調 /蓝调 noun (musical form)
Danish
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
Esperanto
1 entries- bluso noun (musical form)
Finnish
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
French
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
Georgian
1 entries- ბლუზი noun (musical form)
German
1 entries- Blues noun (musical form)
Greek
1 entries- μπλουζ noun (musical form)
Hebrew
1 entries- בלוז noun (musical form)
Hindi
1 entries- ब्लूज़ noun (musical form)
Japanese
1 entries- ブルース noun (musical form)
Korean
1 entries- 블루스 noun (musical form)
Kyrgyz
1 entries- блюз noun (musical form)
Māori
1 entries- puoro kōrangaranga noun (musical form)
Persian
1 entries- بلوز noun (musical form)
Polish
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
Portuguese
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
Russian
1 entries- блюз noun (musical form)
Serbo-Croatian
1 entries- bluz noun (musical form)
Swedish
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
Thai
1 entries- บลูส์ noun (musical form)
Turkish
1 entries- blues noun (musical form)
Ukrainian
1 entries- блюз noun (musical form)
Sample sentences
23 total sentences available.
I have the blues today.
Source: tatoeba (242983)
I often get the blues.
Source: tatoeba (324448)
Blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson would have been 100 years old on May 8th of 2011 if he hadn't died when he was 27 years old.
Source: tatoeba (881938)
Showing 4 of 23 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "blues"?
Closest matches include alba, anthem, art song, aubade, ballad.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "blues"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.