enka

E1N1K5A1

noun

A genre of Japanese music that originated in the 1960s and often features melodramatic themes.

OriginJapanese 演歌 →
UncommonScrabble 8
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Meanings

nounenka (uncountable)
  1. uncountableentertainmentA genre of Japanese music that originated in the 1960s and often features melodramatic themes.
  2. uncountableentertainmentA genre of political songs spread by members of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement of Japan during the Meiji period (1868–1912).

Origin

  1. Japanese演歌
  2. Englishenka

Borrowed from Japanese 演歌 (enka).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

kaneKeannakekaenkenaaken
Cite this entry
APA

enka. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enka

MLA

“enka.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enka. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enka,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enka.

Source: enka on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.