1

lilt

noun \ ˈlilt \

|Updated on: 9 Jun 2018

Examples: lilt in a Sentence

Definition of lilt

1 : a spirited and usually cheerful song or tune

2 : a rhythmical swing, flow, or cadence

3 : a springy buoyant movement

See lilt defined for English-language learners

Examples of lilt in a Sentence

There was a charming lilt to her voice.
a tune with a lilt

Recent Examples of lilt from the Web

The track has a bossa nova swing, but Reinhart's vocals — showcased on season 10 of American Idol — have the lilt of low-fi pop.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Haley Reinhart's "Last Kiss Goodbye" Has All Of Your Favorite Things," 31 May 2018
The voice is unmistakable: an Irish lilt softened over decades of living here in America, resulting in an accent that is entirely Brosnan's own.

— drew magary, GQ, "Pierce Brosnan Has Found Beauty and Inspiration During Our Helltimes," 16 May 2018
No, because Lowe’s onstage stories about the former president were charming and only slightly edgy, delivered with a dead-on Arkansas lilt that’s more respectful than buffoonish.

— adrienne wichard-edds, The Hollywood Reporter, "Rob Lowe Welcomes Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sean Spicer Backstage at His One-Man Show," 15 May 2018
Or opt for the relative complexities of a Green Pie that conjures a garden of earthy delight, a peppery herbal kick of arugula pesto, the anise lilt of fresh basil and a counterpoint frisson of fried sage leaves.

— beth segal, cleveland.com, "Il Rione Pizzeria: A passion for pizza in Gordon Square," 11 May 2018
And Wiig’s anodyne lilt as Sandra perfectly captures the push and pull between the system’s algorithmic instincts and the more human trappings of its operators.

— michael andor brodeur, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Sandra’ joins the podcast-to-screen wave," 10 May 2018
Whereas Vida burns hot and sweet, San Luis Del Rio is subtle and smooth, featuring a mineral top note and a citrus lilt deeper in the finish that winds its way through the floral acidity of hibiscus tea and the tang of lime peel.

— michael nagrant, RedEye Chicago, "Worth a trip: Mezcal old fashioned from Vol. 39," 20 Dec. 2017
Every single lilt in your voice makes a difference.

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Auli'i Cravalho on Voicing Moana and Feeling Like Beyoncé," 30 Nov. 2016
But no matter where Zambujo finds musical inspiration, the lilt of his phrasing, clarity of his voice, and emotional heft of his measured delivery retain clear connections to fado.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "Portuguese fado singer António Zambujo focuses on the music of Brazilian icon Chico Buarque," 22 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lilt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lilt

circa 1680

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

2

lilt

verb

Definition of lilt

lilted; lilting; lilts

transitive verb

: to sing or play in a lively cheerful manner

intransitive verb

1 : to sing or speak rhythmically and with fluctuating pitch

2 : to move in a lively springy manner

See lilt defined for kids

Recent Examples of lilt from the Web

With his insatiable interest in pop culture, lilting accent and personality that's equal parts innocence and ignorance, Hank offers energetic comic relief in an increasingly dark comedy.

— bill keveney, USA TODAY, "You should know Anthony Carrigan, 'Gotham' villain turned Bill Hader's 'Barry' foil," 26 Apr. 2018
On the album, Mr. Sosa ornaments the space around Mr. Keita’s playing with lilting undercurrents and deftly studded terrain.

— New York Times, "13 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in NYC This Weekend," 15 Mar. 2018
On some days inside that glitzy office, the soundtrack to his view is Spotify, lilting Grateful Dead music.

— dana benbow, Indianapolis Star, "Steve Simon: Deadhead, tree hugger, extremely private business whiz, Pacers heir," 4 Jan. 2018
The most graceful representative of the grape among the California bottles was the Castelli Vineyards 2012 Green Valley of Russian River Valley Nebbiolo ($34), notable for its welcoming fragrance and complex yet lilting red-fruit flavors.

— mike dunne, sacbee, "Nebbiolo, the wine equivalent of winter’s woodpile," 16 Jan. 2018
The film’s lilting score by Marcelo Zarvos (Fences, Brooklyn’s Finest) underscores the magic and childhood wonder in Pullman’s life.

— melinda newman, Billboard, "Go Behind The Scenes of Marcelo Zarvos' Score for Julia Roberts' New Film 'Wonder': Exclusive," 17 Nov. 2017
With her long blonde hair, lilting soprano and acoustic guitar, the enduring image of the singer-songwriter icon is one that dates back to the late ‘60s or early ‘70s.

— maeve mcdermott, USA TODAY, "Joni Mitchell biography 'Reckless Daughter' looks at icon's thorny life from both sides," 27 Oct. 2017
But in the main guesthouse Tuesday, lilting reggae wafted through the open air bar, as government relief workers tapped away on laptops.

— richard fausset, New York Times, "As Trump Visits Offshore, Virgin Islands Struggle to Recover," 3 Oct. 2017
The messages were often encoded to fool the censors; Mr. Bosco’s lilting tunes and rhythms made every song seem to float.

— james gavin, New York Times, "Passion and Politics in João Bosco’s Brazilian Rhythms," 30 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lilt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of lilt

Middle English lulten to sound an alarm

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1722

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

LILT Defined for English Language Learners

lilt

noun

Definition of lilt for English Language Learners

: the attractive quality of speech or music that rises and falls in a pleasing pattern

LILT Defined for Kids

lilt

verb \ ˈlilt \

Definition of lilt for Students

lilted; lilting

: to sing or play in a lively cheerful manner

Learn More about lilt

See words that rhyme with lilt Spanish Central: Translation of lilt Nglish: Translation of lilt for Spanish speakers

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