boogie
To dance, party, or move quickly.
By Cal Hewitt, Gen X · ·
What it means
Boogie moved from boogie-woogie music into a general dance verb, then into party and hurry senses. The word is energetic but not restricted to disco.
See the quick definition in the boogie dictionary entry.
How to use it
“The encore started and everyone boogied again.”
Dancing.
“Boogie if we want to catch the last train.”
Moving quickly.
Where it came from
Merriam-Webster dates boogie-woogie’s popularity to the late 1920s and cites boogie as a dance verb by 1941. Rock-era use broadened it to revel or get going.
No single person is credited, the origin is well-documented.
Where it's popular
U.S. music and informal English
It can describe dance or quick movement.
How it caught on
- Late 1920sBoogie-woogie gained popularity.
- 1941Boogie was cited as a dance verb.
- Rock eraIt gained party and hurry meanings.
Common mix-ups
Boogie is not a specific disco move; it has blues and boogie-woogie roots and also means hurry.
Test yourself
Boogie meanings
0/31. What music form anchors boogie?
2. What non-dance meaning developed later?
3. When is the cited dance-verb use?
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Related slang
More word guides
How every generation says it
Questions people ask
What does boogie mean?
Dance, party, or move quickly.
Where did it come from?
Boogie-woogie and American dance culture.
Can it mean hurry?
Yes.
Merriam-Webster’s 1941 citation uses boogied as a verb, showing the dance meaning was established early.
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