Standard Lemma guide

cha-cha

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A ballroom dance to a Latin American rhythm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: dance, dancing, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The music for this dance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Abbreviation of charter change.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Philippines, abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To dance the cha-cha.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a modern ballroom dance from Latin America; small steps and swaying movements of the hips

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cha-cha-cha

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ballroom dancing, ballroom dance

6

verb

Meaning 6

dance the cha-cha

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe

History

Etymology

From Cuban/Latin American Spanish cha-cha, imitative of the music.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Basque: txa-txa-txa — ballroom dance
  • Catalan: txa-txa-txa — ballroom dance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 恰恰舞 (qiàqiàwǔ) — ballroom dance
  • Czech: čača — ballroom dance
  • Finnish: cha-cha — ballroom dance
  • Finnish: cha-cha-cha — ballroom dance
  • French: Cha-cha-chá — ballroom dance
  • German: Cha-Cha-Cha — ballroom dance
  • Italian: cha cha cha — ballroom dance
  • Japanese: チャチャチャ (chachacha) — ballroom dance
  • Japanese: チャチャ (chacha) — ballroom dance
  • Korean: 차차차 (chachacha) — ballroom dance
  • Macedonian: ча-ча-ча (ča-ča-ča) — ballroom dance
  • Marathi: चाचाचा (cācācā) — ballroom dance
  • Portuguese: chachachá — ballroom dance
  • Russian: ча-ча-ча́ (ča-ča-čá) — ballroom dance
  • Spanish: chachachá — ballroom dance
  • Swedish: cha-cha-cha — ballroom dance
  • Swedish: cha-cha — ballroom dance
  • Tagalog: tsatsa — ballroom dance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 恰恰音樂 /恰恰音乐 (qiàqià yīnyuè) — music
  • Finnish: cha-cha — music
  • Finnish: cha-cha-cha — music
  • Macedonian: ча-ча-ча (ča-ča-ča) — music
  • Marathi: चाचाचा (cācācā) — music
  • Russian: ча-ча-ча́ (ča-ča-čá) — music
  • Spanish: chachachá — music