Meanings
verbsyncopate (third-person singular simple present syncopates, present participle syncopating, simple past and past participle syncopated)
present singular third person syncopates · participle present syncopating · participle past syncopated · past syncopated
- transitiveentertainmentto stress or accentuate the weak beat of a rhythm; to use syncopation
Origin
- Ancient Greekσύν“with”
- Englishsyncopate
From Medieval Latin syncopātus, past participle of syncopō, from Late Latin syncopa, from Ancient Greek σύν (sún, “with”) + κόπτω (kóptō, “cut”).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian синкопирам
- синкопирам (sinkopiram)music: to stress a weak beat
Finnish synkopoida, synkopoida
- synkopoidalinguistics: to use syncope
- synkopoidamusic: to stress a weak beat
French syncoper, syncoper
- syncoperlinguistics: to use syncope
- syncopermusic: to stress a weak beat
Irish coimrigh, meánchoimrigh
- coimrighlinguistics: to use syncope
- meánchoimrighlinguistics: to use syncope
Māori aruaru, taki aruaru
- aruarulinguistics: to use syncope
- taki aruarumusic: to stress a weak beat
Portuguese sincopar, sincopar
- sincoparlinguistics: to use syncope
- sincoparmusic: to stress a weak beat
Russian синкопировать
- синкопировать (sinkopirovatʹ)music: to stress a weak beat
Spanish sincopar, sincopar
- sincoparlinguistics: to use syncope
- sincoparmusic: to stress a weak beat
Swedish synkopera, synkopera
- synkoperalinguistics: to use syncope
- synkoperamusic: to stress a weak beat
Cite this entry
APA
syncopate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/syncopate
MLA
“syncopate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/syncopate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “syncopate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/syncopate.
Source: syncopate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.