blues
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a style of music created by African Americans that often has a slow, sad sound.
a musical genre of African-American origin, typically characterised by a twelve-bar structure and the use of flattened or 'blue' notes.
Simple“He spent the evening listening to old blues records in his room.”
In context“The influence of the blues is evident in almost every major genre of modern popular music, from rock and roll to hip-hop.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a feeling of sadness or being a little depressed.
a state of mild depression or melancholy; usually takes a plural form with the definite article.
Simple“She always gets the Sunday night blues before the work week starts.”
In context“Many people suffer from the winter blues when the days become shorter and the lack of sunlight affects their mood.”
PitfallI have a blue today. I have the blues today.When referring to sadness, 'blues' is always plural and almost always used with 'the'.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a blue uniform, especially one worn by the police or the military.
a dress uniform of a blue colour, specifically those worn by members of the police force or certain branches of the military.
Simple“The officers were dressed in their formal blues for the parade.”
In context“The honour guard appeared in their dress blues, standing in sharp contrast to the civilian attendees at the memorial service.”