ragtime

R1A1G2T1I1M3E1
US/ˈɹæɡˌtaɪm/

noun

A musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment.

Similar
rag
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nounragtime (countable and uncountable, plural ragtimes)

plural ragtimes · alternative rag-time

  1. uncountableentertainmentA musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment.
  2. countableentertainmentA piece of music in this style.
verbragtime (third-person singular simple present ragtimes, present participle ragtiming, simple past and past participle ragtimed)

present singular third person ragtimes · participle present ragtiming · participle past ragtimed · past ragtimed · alternative rag-time

  1. ambitransitiveuncommonTo perform this style of music.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounmusic with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano)

Similar
rag
Broader
dance music
Also see
rag

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 拉格泰姆, 散拍
  • 拉格泰姆 (lāgétàimǔ)music genre
  • 散拍 (sǎnpāi)music genre
Esperanto ragtimo
  • ragtimomusic genre
Greek ράγκταϊμ
  • ράγκταϊμ (rágktaïm)music genre
Japanese ラグタイム
  • ラグタイム (ragutaimu)music genre
Polish ragtime
  • ragtimemusic genre
Romanian ragtime
  • ragtimemusic genre
Russian рэгта́йм
  • рэгта́йм (rɛgtájm)music genre

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

migrateTregami
Cite this entry
APA

ragtime. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ragtime

MLA

“ragtime.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ragtime. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ragtime,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ragtime.

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