WordGarden.iotroubadour
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /trˈuːbədˌɔː/
US
- /ˈtrubəˌdɔr/
Meanings
Noun
a singer-songwriter or lyrical performer, especially one associated with romantic or wandering song
a medieval lyric poet-musician, especially from southern France
Beyond the definition
A troubadour was originally a medieval poet and musician who composed songs, often about courtly love, chivalry, and noble life. Picture a singer moving from court to court with verses polished enough to charm a room.
Today, troubadour is often used more loosely for a singer-songwriter, folk musician, or wandering performer whose music feels personal, poetic, or romantic. A modern troubadour might not wear a cloak or sing for a duke, but he still carries the old idea of someone telling stories through song. The word can also be figurative: a writer or artist might be called a troubadour of a city, a movement, or a generation if their work gives that world a memorable voice.
A troubadour is, first of all, a poet-musician from medieval Europe, especially southern France, who wrote and performed lyrical songs. These songs often told of courtly love, longing, honor, and refined manners. In that historical sense, a troubadour belonged to a world of castles, courts, patrons, and carefully crafted verse.
In modern English, the word has widened. A troubadour can be any singer or songwriter who seems to travel with stories, feelings, and melodies in hand. You might call a folk singer with a guitar a troubadour, especially if his songs feel intimate, wandering, or reflective: “The old troubadour sang about lost highways and first loves.”
The word often carries a romantic or nostalgic tone. Calling someone a troubadour usually suggests more than just “musician.” It hints at poetry, storytelling, travel, and a personal connection between performer and audience.
Troubadour can also be used figuratively for someone who gives voice to a place, cause, or way of life. A novelist might be described as a troubadour of small-town America, or a singer as a troubadour of protest, if their work repeatedly celebrates or speaks for that subject.
So whether you mean a medieval composer of love songs, a modern folk singer on the road, or an artist who gives a community its voice, a troubadour is someone who turns experience into song, verse, and story.
Examples
- 1
Court entertainment
The king welcomed a young troubadour to the court for the evening feast.
- 2
Romantic fiction
In the novel, a wandering troubadour sings outside her window every spring.
- 3
Traveling musician
With his guitar, notebook, and old van, he seemed like a modern troubadour, playing in a different town each night.
- Phrasemodern troubadour
a traveling singer-songwriter
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- singer-songwriter
- jongleur
- court poet
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- medieval troubadour
- wandering troubadour
- troubadour tradition
Word family
Explore
- courtly love
- medieval lyric poetry
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- troubadournoun
Forms
- troubadourspluralnoun