noun / adjective
metal
A forceful rock-music style emphasizing loud aggressive sound.
She listens to metal while lifting weights at the gym.
Etymology
Metal is a shortened name for heavy metal. The music label uses the weight and hardness associated with metal to evoke an emphatically loud, forceful sound.
More examples
- The festival features metal bands from across the country.
- Their new album blends metal with jazz.
- Playing that solo with a broken string is pretty metal.
Forms
metal
metalhead noun — A devoted fan of metal music.
Similar words
- heavy metal
- The full genre name, rather than its shortened form.
- hard rock
- An overlapping style, typically less aggressive and more blues-influenced.