sing Kumbaya

English

Etymology

From the folksong Kumbaya.

Verb

sing Kumbaya (third-person singular simple present sings Kumbaya, present participle singing Kumbaya, simple past sang Kumbaya, past participle sung Kumbaya)

1. (usually humorous or derogatory) To seek peace and ignore disagreements.
   • 1999, Brill's Content:

     "Without singing 'Kumbaya,' what bad things can I say about him? He has some bad hair days," she chuckles.

   • 2007, Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook:

     Peaceful coexistence is attainable, and no one need sing Kumbaya.

   • 2010, Stephanie P. Ledgin, Discovering Folk Music, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 1:

     During a newscast, while reporting on party unity during the 2008 election year, CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux commented that “nobody's singing 'Kumbaya' just quite yet”

   • 2021, Taylor Moore, Down Range, HarperCollins, →ISBN:

     Two Agencies. Same team. Different objectives. It was a match made in hell, but policy makers back in Washington expected everyone to sing kumbaya for the good of the country.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see sing,‎ kumbaya.