lyrical

adjective

lyr·​i·​cal ˈlir-i-kəl How to pronounce lyrical (audio)
1
: having an artistically beautiful or expressive quality suggestive of song
a lyrical film
a lyrical account of New York City in the late 1960s
… a book by the Japanese artist Rinko Kawauchi, who makes lyrical pictures of nature and domestic life.Chris Wiley
2
: of or relating to song lyrics
The album was praised for raw lyrical content about the transformative power of heartbreak …Nola Ojomu
He [Clarence Clemons] crams his short sequence with notes, as though mimicking the Boss' word-heavy lyrical style, his sax embodying the promise of escape and freedom more than anything else in the song.Stephen M. Deusner
lyrically adverb
Lyrically, the title track sums up the carpe diem theme the band hopes listeners get out of this album … Margaret Coble
The book opens with an interview given to Hugo Vansitart by Eleanor Darcy … in which she, defining love, waffles lyrically and at length about love's effects rather than its nature. Shena Mackay
lyricalness noun
[Cellist Lynn] Harrell's ease of technique had a lot to do with it, and an elusive quality predominated—sometimes impish, but more often dark—as energetic bursts gave way to dreamy lyricalness. Therese Sutherland

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 mid-late 1500s, it too referred to things pertaining or adapted to the lyre. It initially described poets, emotionally expressive poetic forms (such as elegies, odes, or sonnets), or works meant to be sung. Two lexical developments came soon after: lyric gained noun use as a term for a lyric composition or poem, and lyrical was adopted as an alternate adjective form. Lyrical is now the more common adjective; it’s used broadly to describe writing or other creative works that have an artistically beautiful or expressive quality. Meanwhile, in modern use lyric is most familiar in its plural noun form—a song's lyrics are its words. In other uses lyric is a technical term limited mostly to poetry (a lyric poet writes lyric poems, i.e., poems that express direct emotion) and opera (many opera companies use the word in their names, and a lyric soprano has a light voice and melodic style).

Examples of lyrical in a Sentence

She is noted for her lyrical moviemaking style. a painter known for his lyrical landscapes a lyrical account of frontier life
Recent Examples on the Web Cole has collaborated with Kendrick in the past, and is probably game for some lyrical sparring — but the tension is deeper with Drake. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 That signature vocal dexterity and lyrical verve are all over his latest LP, Black Sheep, produced in partnership with Cakes’ longtime collaborator Sam Katz and out via Tokimonsta’s Young Art Record. Katie Bain, Billboard, 22 Mar. 2024 Nonna is featured in the last 15-20 seconds of the single, relaying an anecdote that notably summarizes the entirety of the love song’s lyrical themes. Thania Garcia, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024 In its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep, Jennifer Chang’s lyrical production distills both the terror and the mystery of the Angel Island detention center, framed by Hsuan-Kuang Hsieh’s ethereal projections, standing sentinel at the gateway to the Bay Area for decades. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 And Hunt wasn't only singing about partying with beer and trucks and women, but sharing his heartbreak with gripping, lived-in lyrical details, another area where Drake became a master. Journal Sentinel, 16 Mar. 2024 Their work often drew on historical and literary sources; among their favorite writers was Luigi Pirandello, whose lyrical absurdism fit with their own sense of storytelling. Clay Risen, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 In literature, anyway, the lyrical suggests a wave of praise and celebration, whereas the satirical indicates particles of jeering condemnation. Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 And for the rest of his career, one sadly truncated by his drug use, Evans would pursue the trio format with subtle lyrical passion. James Kaplan, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lyrical was in 1528

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Cite this Entry

“Lyrical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lyrical. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lyrical

adjective
lyr·​i·​cal ˈlir-i-kəl How to pronounce lyrical (audio)
lyrically adverb

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