lyric

1 of 2

noun

lyr·​ic ˈlir-ik 

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 wrath

—Time

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• poem
• rune
• song
• verse

Adjective

• euphonious
• lyrical
• mellifluent
• mellifluous
• mellow
• melodic
• melodious
• musical

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

On the new version of the track, Laferte opens the song in Spanish, before St. Vincent joins in English as the two take turns tackling the song’s lyrics and their own language. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025

The Beggar’s Opera, directed by Wills with an original score by the musical mastermind Schlosberg and a new book and lyrics by playwright Kate Tarker. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 May 2025

Adjective

Less prominent were the opera’s wondrous lyric moments or a sense of Golijov’s inventive, multifaceted musical sources. —Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

The song has been streamed on Spotify more than 62 million times, drawn more than 50 million views for its two lyric videos on YouTube, and featured in more than 43,000 TikToks and Instagram reels collectively. —Eda Uysen, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2025

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

Rhymes for lyric

• pyrrhic
• stearic
• balearic
• empiric
• etheric
• satiric
• hemispheric
• panegyric
• stratospheric
• interhemispheric

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Kids Definition

lyric

1 of 2 noun

lyr·​ic ˈlir-ik 

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