lyrical

adjective

lyr·​i·​cal ˈlir-i-kəl 

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

ˈlir-i-k(ə-)lē 

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

ˈlir-i-kəl-nəs 

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).

Synonyms

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

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

The album is full of moments like this, where the lyrical conventions of a hand-me-down genre are enlivened with genuinely personal urgency. —Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024

With lyrical prose and unflinching candor, Angelou illuminated the complexities of race, identity, and womanhood. —Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024

There’s a kind of melancholic whimsy here, and lyrical poetry, which makes this song an appropriate listen for a solar eclipse. —Maria Sherman, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024

Damien Scott: Social media has also played a big part in moving rap away from lyrical sparring. —Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024

Another of Koenig’s lyrical preoccupations—surely not unrelated—is the unstoppable trudge of time. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024

In true Queen Bey fashion, the Grammy-winning singer reinvents the song, adding both production and lyrical twists, including a warning for the adversary to think twice. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing lyrical

• wax lyrical

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

lyrical

adjective

lyr·​i·​cal ˈlir-i-kəl 

: lyric entry 2

lyrically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb