city blues: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, literary, musical
Quick answer
What does “city blues” mean?
A feeling of sadness, loneliness, or melancholy specifically associated with living in a large urban environment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A feeling of sadness, loneliness, or melancholy specifically associated with living in a large urban environment.
A genre of blues music that developed in urban centers, characterized by a smoother, more polished sound compared to rural or Delta blues. Can also refer broadly to the mood of alienation, stress, or discontent experienced in city life.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More commonly used in an American cultural and musical context. In British English, the phrase might be understood but is less culturally embedded.
Connotations
American: Strong association with mid-20th century Chicago, Memphis, or electric blues. British: May be interpreted more literally as a mood rather than a musical style.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but higher in American English, particularly in discussions of music or urban literature.
Grammar
How to Use “city blues” in a Sentence
to have the city bluesto play city bluesthe city blues of [place/person]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “city blues” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He was city-bluesing all afternoon after his flatmate left.
- The band city-blueses like no other.
American English
- She city-bluesed her way through the setlist.
- They're known for city-bluesing with a jazz twist.
adverb
British English
- He sang city-bluesly into the microphone.
- The piano played city-bluesly in the corner.
American English
- The guitar wept city-bluesly.
- She sighed city-bluesly looking at the traffic.
adjective
British English
- His city-blues mood was palpable.
- A city-blues atmosphere filled the damp air.
American English
- That's a real city-blues sound.
- She wrote a city-blues anthem for New York.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially used metaphorically in HR contexts about employee wellbeing in metropolitan offices.
Academic
Used in cultural studies, musicology, or sociology papers discussing urban experience or music history.
Everyday
Used to describe a personal mood after a difficult week in a busy city. 'This rainy Monday has given me the city blues.'
Technical
In musicology, refers specifically to post-WWII urban blues styles with jazz influences and electric instruments.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “city blues”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “city blues”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “city blues”
- Using it as a plural countable noun incorrectly (e.g., 'I have two city blues'). It's generally uncountable.
- Confusing it with 'country blues', which is a distinct, older musical style.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not very common. It is a specialised term used more in musical or literary contexts. In everyday speech, people might simply say they feel down or lonely in the city.
Yes, but it's stylised. It implies a specific, reflective, perhaps poetic or clichéd melancholy associated with urban life, not just any momentary upset.
'Country blues' (or 'Delta blues') is older, acoustic, and often solitary, originating in the rural Southern US. 'City blues' is urban, often features full bands with electric instruments, and has influences from jazz and pop.
When referring specifically to the music genre, it is often capitalised as 'City Blues'. When referring to the mood, it is usually left in lowercase.
A feeling of sadness, loneliness, or melancholy specifically associated with living in a large urban environment.
City blues is usually informal, literary, musical in register.
City blues: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɪti bluːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɪɾi bluːz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[He/She]'s got a bad case of the city blues.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a singer on a rainy city street at night, singing the 'blues' because of the lonely 'city' lights.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE CITY IS A SOURCE OF MELANCHOLY (EMOTION IS A MUSICAL GENRE).
Practice
Quiz
What is a key characteristic of 'city blues' as a music genre?