lyric

1 of 2

noun

lyr·​ic ˈlir-ik How to pronounce lyric (audio)
1
: a lyric composition
specifically : a lyric poem
2
: the words of a song
often used in plural

lyric

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: suitable for singing to the lyre or for being set to music and sung
b
: of, relating to, or being drama set to music
especially : operatic
lyric stage
2
a
: expressing direct usually intense personal emotion especially in a manner suggestive of song
lyric poetry
b
: exuberant, rhapsodic
exploded with lyric wrathTime
3
of an opera singer : having a light voice and a melodic style
a lyric soprano
compare dramatic sense 3

Did you know?

To the ancient Greeks, anything lyrikos was appropriate to the lyre. That elegant stringed instrument was highly regarded by the Greeks and was used to accompany intensely personal poetry that revealed the thoughts and feelings of the poet. When the adjective lyric, a descendant of lyrikos, was adopted into English in the 1500s, it too referred to things pertaining or adapted to the lyre. Initially, it was applied to poetic forms (such as elegies, odes, or sonnets) that express strong emotion, to poets who write such works, or to things meant to be sung. Over time, it was extended to anything musical or rhapsodic. Nowadays, lyric is also used as a noun naming either a type of poem or the words of a song.

Examples of lyric in a Sentence

Noun a song with a beautiful lyric a poet admired for his lyrics Adjective they performed a slow, lyric dance for the audience the film's lyric photography really enhanced its romantic mood
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That love supercharges her lyrics with artful inexactitude, the ambiguity making each song feel even bigger than Raisen’s bumptiousness already does. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Squiggly synths and guitars coat the undercurrent of the fizzy song, which belies the vulnerability in her lyrics about finding the courage to move past a relationship gone kaput and excavate her inner strength. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 In the music video for her the collab, the actor/singer is seen against a super-simple backdrop and lets her lyrics, dance moves, wardrobe and big hair take center stage. Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Fan videos captured Kelce passionately dancing to the pop star’s Reputation lead single with his friends and tens of thousands of other Swifties at National Stadium, rocking from side to side while singing along to the lyrics. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 8 Mar. 2024 This quick-bite game gives you half of a popular quote or lyric related to the day’s theme, and your job is to root out the real words to finish the saying. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 So, more than anything, Scahill wanted his banjo students, who play songs with titles and lyrics that reference Irish cities, towns and people, to come with him, tour Ireland, and actually play in those towns, and meet those people. Lori Nickel, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024 The musical, with book and lyrics by Murphy, and book and music by Studney, follows what happens in a small Middle America town when the evils of marijuana take hold, centering on a seemingly normal teenager whose life is derailed by a dangerous addiction. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 The girl takes the tin and the poem’s lyrics are revealed later in subtitles over a simple, haunting piano tune. Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Using ideas lifted from his lyric journals, Reznor imagined a new mind in which to pour all his deepest fears, doubts, and resentments. Adam Steiner, SPIN, 8 Mar. 2024 Pankaj Udhas, a singer from India whose soulful renditions of ghazals, or lyric love songs, were a cornerstone of many Bollywood films over his decades-long career, died in Mumbai on Monday. John Yoon, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The Buenos Aires show also marked the first time Kelce met Swift's dad, Scott, and the first time Swift performed the lyric change. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024 Sanders sold the lyric pages in 2005 to rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz, who later sold them to memorabilia specialists Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski, according to the AP. Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Swift previously made the lyric change when Kelce attended her show in Buenos Aires. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 Alongside a new lyric video, Joel also released the track on limited-edition 7-inch vinyl. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 5 Feb. 2024 Perk up your ears, musical fans — a new song from Dicks: The Musical has dropped, complete with a lyric video, which EW is exclusively debuting below. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2023 Alongside a new lyric video, Joel also released the song on limited-edition 7-inch vinyl. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lyric.' 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

Adjective

Middle French or Latin; Middle French lyrique, from Latin lyricus, from Greek lyrikos, from lyra

First Known Use

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lyric was in 1567

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Dictionary Entries Near lyric

Cite this Entry

“Lyric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lyric. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lyric

1 of 2 noun
lyr·​ic ˈlir-ik How to pronounce lyric (audio)
1
: a lyric poem or song
2
plural : the words of a song

lyric

2 of 2 adjective
1
a
: resembling a song in form, feeling, or literary quality
b
: expressing a poet's own feeling : not narrative or dramatic
lyric poetry
2
: having or involving a light singing style

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