Main meanings of DJ in English

: DJ¹ DJ²

DJ¹

Pronunciation /ˈdiːdʒeɪ/

See synonyms for DJ on Thesaurus.com

Translate DJ into Spanish

nounplural noun DJs

1A person who introduces and plays recorded popular music on radio.
‘he was the only DJ to play our last release on the radio’
- ‘For Londoners at home on a Saturday night, the best soundtrack to cooking dinner is DJ Charlie Gillett's BBC London show.’
- ‘Bingenheimer is a DJ on the American radio station KROQ.’
- ‘He is still in my view the only DJ worth listening to on Auntie Beeb's flagship radio station.’
- ‘She listens to her favorite DJs on pirate radio stations, enjoys clubbing, and likes most of the people she's grown up with.’
- ‘Forsyth's film details the trials and tribulations of a local radio DJ whose long-term partner leaves him.’
- ‘He's a DJ at an alternative radio station.’
- ‘He was BBC Radio One's longest-serving DJ, having joined the station at its inception in 1967.’
- ‘The former salesman is working as a DJ at a local radio station on the Isle of Man as he tries to raise the cash for his flight.’
1. 1.1A person who plays recorded dance music at a club or party.
  ‘a DJ will spin tunes’
  ‘Sabu is a rave DJ who spends his time spinning vinyl out in the fields.’
  ‘Dowse's new movie is about a popular Ibiza DJ who loses his hearing.’
  ‘The rock 'n' roll spirit carried over to many parties featuring live bands and DJs at downtown night spots.’
  ‘The Tavern is your neighborhood sports bar, complete with drink specials, lunch specials, and a nighttime DJ.’
  ‘Get ready to groove to the techno and house beats spun by the Sullivan Room's DJs.’
  ‘Local bands and live performance are becoming less common as gambling machines and DJs become more lucrative for small venue operators.’
2. 1.2A person who uses samples of recorded music to make dance or rap music.
  ‘Any firm meaning, political or otherwise, in his later efforts surfaces and then disintegrates in much the same way that the DJ mixes songs.’
  ‘His instrument is the turntable, and he is credited with being among the first DJs to sample and mix the works of others into unique compositions.’
  ‘A DJ record is essentially a new record made from the assembled parts of other records, reinterpreted and often unrecognizable from their original source.’
  ‘Most artists do not perform in concert (DJs aside) because electronic music does not lend itself readily to live display.’
  ‘The DJ might take the drum break from one record and the bass from another to combine them into a new musical piece.’
  ‘The sections nevertheless merge into one another, like the pictorial equivalent of a DJ's musical mix.’

verbverb DJs, verb DJing, verb DJ'd, verb DJed

[no object]

Play recorded music on radio or at a club or party.
‘he DJ'ed for 5 hours non-stop’
- ‘At the time I started I'd only DJ'd in public about 5 times, and all of a sudden I was playing to sell-out crowds at one of the world's most famous clubs.’
- ‘I also went to, and DJ'd at, a lot of the illegal parties which were going on at the time.’
- ‘Last night I DJ'd and to be honest I rather wished I hadn't.’
- ‘I'll be playing stuff too - but there's the slight problem of not having DJ'd for about 4 years.’
- ‘She soon began writing her own music, but has always DJ'd as well, something evident in her compositions.’
- ‘Chris was the school's radio station DJ and he DJ'd on the weekends at the rink.’
- ‘I haven't DJ'd properly since my student radio days, and I forgot how much fun it is.’
- ‘Since then she's DJ'd at parties for many well-known musicians.’
- ‘He's a former star baseballer who now DJ's on a local radio station.’
- ‘He has been DJ'ing on Radio One for longer than I've been alive.’
- ‘Later in the evening, there's a good chance I'll be DJ'ing downtown, as part of a CMJ Music Marathon party.’
- ‘I'm doing a few odd shows in France - plus I've been DJ'ing quite a lot to promote my SPACELINES compilation LP of rare great grooves of soul punk from the 30's to the 90's.’
- ‘Junior has DJ'd at a number of leading venues in London.’
- ‘My boyfriend DJ'd here while we were visiting London this past summer.’