kakegoe

K5A1K5E1G2O1E1

noun

Melodramatic calls from an audience in kabuki theatre or as part of call-and-response singing in Japanese folk music.

OriginJapanese かけごえ →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounkakegoe (uncountable)
  1. uncountableMelodramatic calls from an audience in kabuki theatre or as part of call-and-response singing in Japanese folk music.

    In Japan traditional kabuki theater is known for kakegoe: shouting at actors upon their entrance, and throughout the performance.

    2007 July 1, Zachary Pincus-Roth, “Enter Acting, Pursued by Applause”, in New York Times

Origin

  1. Japaneseかけごえ“hung voice”
  2. Englishkakegoe

From Japanese かけごえ (“hung voice”).

More words from Japanese

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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