lyricism

noun

lyr·​i·​cism ˈlir-ə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

: the quality or state of being lyric : songfulness

The important part of his anthology 100 Modern Poems is the foreign verse, showing the French influence on our symbolism, the Celtic influence (Yeats, Dylan Thomas) on our lyricism.

—Peter Viereck

2

a

: an intense personal quality expressive of feeling or emotion in an art (such as poetry or music)

… a muse that brought out the lyricism in innumerable writers.

—Erich Segal

b

: exuberance

[Thomas] Wolfe is the sort of author who inspires lyricism or invective, not judicious interpretation

—Time

3

: the words of a song : lyrics

witty lyricism

Despite her spitfire raps and devil-may-care persona, Lee's lyricism is surprisingly sensitive, proving the rapper to be wise beyond her years.

—Gladys Yeo

Renaissance, Beyoncé's seventh album, was a seductive club banger with heady lyricism and deep tributes to the queer community.

—CT Jones

Examples of lyricism in a Sentence

the lyricism of his paintings

Recent Examples on the Web

Whether playing unison lines, trading off, or weaving intricate melodic tapestries, Goldings and Bernstein bring a distinctive sense of lyricism to their work. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2024

Moreover, the inner tension of that style inflects the rest of the film; Schrader’s spare image-making here reaches an apogee of lyricism, his sense of essential ornament appears forged in fire. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024

But even before her debut captured the attention of Grammy voters, Abrams was cultivating a loyal fanbase with soft vocals and lyricism heartbreaking enough to hit anyone in the feels. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024

The hallmark of her lyricism is its stream-of-consciousness hyperspecificity, full of name drops and tiny stories stacked on top of each other. —Leah Lu, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024

Good lyricism also helps explain Taylor Swift’s massive fan base. —Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2024

With an innately gothic atmosphere, Gibson's indelible lyricism, and the addictive promise of Carmilla’s presence, Laura’s story is begging to be consumed. —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2023

These acts inspired artists in other parts of Latin America and beyond to use their music and lyricism to fight for their causes. —Matthew Dursum, SPIN, 20 Nov. 2023

The nearly four minutes of straight lyricism connects not only generation but regions, with Ray Vaughn from Long Beach, California and Pusha T famously raised in Virginia Beach. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1