easy-listening

easy-listening — noun

1. a genre of recorded music with a soft, calm sound that people often play as back

1.名詞B1
釋義

a genre of recorded music with a soft, calm sound that people often play as background sound while working, reading, or relaxing.

例句

The cafe on Elm Street plays easy-listening music while customers read their books.

attributive noun: easy-listening music + place

Ravi put on an easy-listening album to stay calm during his long drive home.

collocation: easy-listening album

同義詞
  • light music

    older, less common term for the same genre; more common in British English

  • background music

    broader term — includes any music played in the background, not just easy-listening

  • ambient music

    different genre — more electronic and atmospheric, not necessarily melodic

反義詞
  • heavy metal

    loud, aggressive genre at the opposite end of the intensity spectrum

  • classical music

    complex, notation-based tradition often requiring focused listening

文法句型

easy-listening + noun (music / album / station / track)

listen to + easy-listening

用法筆記

Frequently used as an attributive modifier before nouns such as music, album, station, or track. The hyphen is retained in attributive position but is sometimes dropped in informal speech (easy listening music).

常見錯誤

❌I enjoy easy-listening.
✅I enjoy easy-listening music.
💡In most contexts the word sounds more natural with an explicit noun like music or tracks after it.
❌He listened to easy list'ning.
✅He listened to easy-listening music.
💡Do not drop the -ing ending; listening is essential to the compound.

2. music in the same soft style, especially when described as pleasant but shallow

2.名詞B2
釋義

music in the same soft style, especially when described as pleasant but shallow — without the artistic depth or emotional intensity valued by critics of more demanding genres.

例句

Some musicians claim that easy-listening tracks lack the emotional power found in live rock performances.

contrastive: easy-listening versus rock

Critics called the album pleasant easy-listening but said it was not very memorable or original.

critical register: pleasant but dismissive

同義詞
  • Muzak

    brand name for background music played in stores and offices; often used dismissively for any bland instrumental music

  • elevator music

    informal and dismissive term for bland, inoffensive background music

  • lounge music

    overlaps but has retro/sleek connotations from 1950s–60s bar culture

反義詞
  • alternative rock

    genre associated with originality, non-commercial values, and emotional authenticity

  • progressive rock

    complex compositions with unusual time signatures and extended song structures

文法句型

dismissive adjective + easy-listening (e.g., pleasant but empty easy-listening)

described as + easy-listening

用法筆記

This sense carries a mildly dismissive connotation — it is typically used by critics or fans of genres perceived as more complex (rock, jazz, classical). Distinguish from sense 1, which is a neutral genre label.

常見錯誤

❌ 'I love easy-listening because it is shallow.' — Avoid pairing 'love' with the dismissive sense; use 'pleasant but empty' phrasing only when expressing a critical view.

❌ 'All easy-listening music lacks substance.' — This overgeneralizes; not all listeners or musicians view the genre this way.