Phrase guide

elevator music

noun · 1 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Bland, inoffensive music played as a background in elevators and businesses (such as offices and shopping malls).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Used in the first elevators to reduce anxiousness.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 電梯音樂 /电梯音乐 (diàntī yīnyuè) — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • Dutch: niets-aan-de-handmuziek — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • Finnish: taustamusiikki — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • Finnish: hissimusiikki — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • French: musique d'ascenseur — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • French: musique d'aéroport — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • German: Fahrstuhlmusik — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • Icelandic: lyftutónlist — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • Polish: muzak — music played as a background in elevators and businesses
  • Swedish: hissmusik — music played as a background in elevators and businesses