electro

IPA/ɪˈlek.trəʊ/
KK[ɪlˈɛktro]IPA/ɪˈlek.troʊ/

electro — noun

1. a fast-paced style of electronic dance music built around drum machines and synt

1.nounB1
Definition

a fast-paced style of electronic dance music built around drum machines and synthesizers, with a strong, steady beat that drives the track forward — often shortened from 'electro-pop' or 'electro house'.

Example

Yuna loves listening to electro while she exercises at the gym every morning.

uncountable noun: 'listening to electro' without article

The nightclub played electro all night, and the dance floor stayed packed until dawn.

Common collocations
  • electro music
  • electro beat / electro rhythm
  • electro track / electro song
  • electro artist / electro producer / electro DJ
  • electro playlist
  • electro festival
  • listen to electro
  • play electro
  • dance to electro
  • produce electro
  • mix electro (with another genre)
Synonyms
  • electronic music

    broader term that includes electro plus ambient, house, techno, and many other styles

  • EDM

    even broader umbrella covering all electronic dance music; electro is one subgenre under EDM

  • techno

    a related but distinct genre; electro has a funkier, more breakbeat-driven rhythm than techno

Grammar Patterns

electro + noun (modifier)

listen to / play / dance to electro

Usage Note

Electro is an uncountable noun, so it does not take a or an and has no plural form. Use some electro or a piece of electro when referring to individual tracks. The same form can also act as a modifier before nouns (electro beat, electro artist).

Common Mistakes

I bought a new electro.
I bought a new electro track.
electro is uncountable; use a piece of electro or name the noun it modifies.
She plays electro guitar.
She makes electro music on her synthesizer.
electro is a genre, not a type of instrument.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Electro is a specific subgenre of electronic dance music known for its heavy use of drum machines (especially the Roland TR-808), synthesizer basslines, and a distinctive syncopated beat. Electronic music is the broadest term, covering everything from ambient to experimental to dance styles — it is the parent category. EDM (electronic dance music) is narrower than electronic music but still very wide, referring to music made specifically for dancing in clubs and festivals; electro is one of many styles within EDM. Techno shares electro's electronic roots and club-friendly energy, but techno typically uses a steady four-on-the-floor kick drum and a darker, more repetitive feel, while electro is funkier and more breakbeat-influenced. If you hear a driving synth bass and a crisp, snappy drum-machine beat with a hip-hop-influenced swing, you are likely listening to electro rather than straight techno.

electronic musicEDM ↗techno ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • electro music
  • electro beat
  • electro track
  • electro artist
  • electro festival
  • electro playlist

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Electro is a shortening of electronic, which traces back through French électrique to New Latin electricus ('amber-like'), from Latin electrum ('amber'), and ultimately from Greek ēlektron (ἤλεκτρον, 'amber'). The ancient Greeks noticed that rubbing amber produced static electricity, which led to the modern concept of electricity. The word electronic (combining electric with -onic, after electron) entered English in the early 1900s. Electro as the name of a music genre emerged in the early 1980s, shortened from electro-pop and electro-funk, describing a style built on synthesizers and drum machines.