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

Albert’s prose sometimes strains for lyricism, but the mysteries embedded in the novel—creative, familial, and supernatural—exert a powerful draw. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

Sour and sophomore Guts — incredible hooks, intricate production, cutting lyricism — stepped up to the next level. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026

In an act of fantastical baton-passing, Los Javis collaborate with Lorca’s spirit to finalize this play, infusing it with details, moods and lyricism from his life and work. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 25 May 2026

The director, who previously worked on Pixar hits Wall-E and Up, contrasts hard-knocks rustic realism with poetic flights of fancy whenever Christophe manages to escape his world and find his own voice, adding lyricism to an otherwise harsh existence. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lyricism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism