A marimba is a percussionA group of instruments you strike, shake, or scrape to make sounds. instrument with tuned wooden bars that you play with malletsSoft-headed sticks used to strike bars or other surfaces.. It is closely related to the xylophone, but it has a fuller, warmer sound and built-in resonatorsParts that amplify and enrich the sound of the instrument..
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /muh-RIM-buh/
Easy pronunciation: muh-RIM-buh (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable: RIM.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Marimba Meaning
A musical instrument with wooden bars that you hit with mallets.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A percussion instrument with wooden bars tuned to produce a chromatic scale and with resonators; played with small mallets.
Example: The marimba added a warm, bright sound to the song.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- xylophone — Closely related instrument and the only supplied synonym, but not an exact everyday substitute in every context.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Marimba Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- xylophone
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using marimba as if it were the same thing as every wooden-bar percussion instrument.
- Assuming xylophone is always a perfect synonym; it is related, but not always interchangeable.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does marimba mean?
Marimba means a percussion instrument with tuned wooden bars played with mallets.
What is a synonym for marimba?
Xylophone is the supplied synonym, but it is a related instrument rather than an exact substitute in every case.
Is a marimba the same as a xylophone?
Not exactly. They are closely related percussion instruments, but they are not identical.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-25. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.