# fugue

/ˈfjuɡ/ (US) · /fjˈuːɡ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fugue
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. musical composition

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a piece of music where a short melody is introduced by one part and then taken up by others and developed.

For teachers: a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.

- The organist played a complex fugue by Bach at the end of the service.
- The composer demonstrated his technical mastery by weaving four distinct voices into a rigorous fugue that lasted nearly ten minutes.

Usage: Countable noun.

### 2. psychological state

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a mental state where a person loses their memory and may leave their home to start a new life.

For teachers: a dissociative state characterized by a loss of identity and often by wandering away from one's usual environment.

- After the accident, he was found in a fugue state miles away from his house.
- Psychiatrists noted that the patient had entered a dissociative fugue, during which he had no recollection of his previous life or family.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'fugue state'.

### 3. complex structure

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Academic

a book, film, or painting that has a very complicated and repeating structure like a piece of music.

For teachers: a literary or artistic work characterized by a complex, multi-layered structure resembling a musical fugue.

- The novel is a dark fugue of different characters' memories and dreams.
- Critics described the film as a visual fugue, where recurring motifs and overlapping timelines created a sense of structured chaos.

## Examples

- The pianist played a beautiful fugue from Bach.
- In a fugue, the main theme, called the subject, is introduced and then imitated by each subsequent voice in the ensemble.
- The composer's final movement is a masterful fugue, weaving the initial motif through several key changes and rhythmic variations before resolving into a triumphant conclusion.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.