elegy

noun

el·​e·​gy ˈe-lə-jē How to pronounce elegy (audio)
plural elegies
1
: a poem in elegiac couplets
2
a
: a song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation especially for one who is dead
b
: something (such as a speech) resembling such a song or poem
3
a
: a pensive or reflective poem that is usually nostalgic or melancholy
b
: a short pensive musical composition

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Elegy vs. Eulogy

Both elegy and eulogy may be used about writing or speech in remembrance of a person who has passed away, and this semantic overlap creates the potential for confusion. Elegy (which may be traced to the Greek word elegos, “song of mourning”) commonly refers to a song or poem lamenting one who is dead; the word may also refer somewhat figuratively to a nostalgic poem, or to a kind of musical composition. While eulogy is also commonly found referring to words about the deceased, its basic meaning, both in English and in the Greek language from which it was borrowed, is “praise.” Formed from the Greek roots eu “good” and logos “speech,” a eulogy is an encomium given for one who is either living or dead. If you are praising your partner’s unsurpassed beauty or commending the virtues of the deceased at a funeral, you are delivering a eulogy; if you are composing a lamenting reminiscence about a person who has long since passed, you are writing an elegy.

Examples of elegy in a Sentence

“O Captain! My Captain!” is Walt Whitman's elegy on the death of President Lincoln
Recent Examples on the Web Notes of elegy sound throughout, laments for something too good to last, but also for a moment of honest and urgent revolt. Michelle Orange, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024 This thoughtful, 11-song opus sees Segarra incorporating folk, rock, Americana and jazz into an elegy of what could have been, a sobering look at the way things are now, and a prayer for that which has yet to come. Stephen Daw, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 Knute Rockne, All American (1940) Decades before he was elected President of the United States, a young actor named Ronald Reagan appeared in Knute Rockne, All American, an elegy to Notre Dame's titular famed coach (played here by Pat O'Brien). Ilana Gordon, EW.com, 9 Sep. 2023 And somehow, without even the slightest sentimentality about it, the book provides an elegy for a lost generation, or maybe for all the elders still here, as overlooked as the Midwest itself. Kate Tuttle, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2024 These short essays are like ekphrastic poems, or odes, or elegies, or fan letters. Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2024 At its best, which is often, this Grammy-winning trio seamlessly erases the lines between bluegrass and chamber-pop, folk and neoclassical, shimmering psychedelic elegies and earthy barnyard romps. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2023 There was more: a haunting Arabic elegy sung by Emel, a virtuosic performance on a Chinese two-string fiddle by Wang Guowei, a monologue about safety from the perspective of a dog, delivered by Laurie Anderson, accompanying herself on electric violin. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2024 One essay is a lovely elegy of his feisty Nana, another is a charming ode to dandelions, and yet another is almost a rant against Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Karen Campbell, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elegy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin elegia poem in elegiac couplets, from Greek elegeia, elegeion, from elegos song of mourning

First Known Use

1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of elegy was in 1501

Dictionary Entries Near elegy

Cite this Entry

“Elegy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elegy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elegy

noun
el·​e·​gy ˈel-ə-jē How to pronounce elegy (audio)
plural elegies
: a poem or song expressing sorrow especially for one who is dead
elegiac
ˌel-ə-ˈjī-ək
adjective
elegize
ˈel-ə-ˌjīz
verb

More from Merriam-Webster on elegy

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