melisma
noun
me·lis·ma
mi-ˈliz-mə 
plural melismata
mi-ˈliz-mə-tə
1
: a group of notes or tones sung on one syllable in plainsong
2
: melodic embellishment
3
: cadenza
Examples of melisma in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since mariachi vocalists are typically men, women performing in the genre often sing in a lower register, but Ulloa has developed a dramatic, soaring style marked by rapid melisma.
—
Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2025
Photo: David Corio/Redferns/Getty Images Popular music of the ’70s and ’80s mixed and matched parts assembled earlier in the 20th century, borrowing from the melisma of soul, the locomotion of rock and roll, the improvisational verve of jazz, and the compositional depth of classical music.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025
This tortuous series of rhetorical oppositions is filtered through classic gestures of lament: long melismas unfurl in circuitous stepwise patterns, generally tending downward.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
And this cast sings the score as if it is embedded in their very DNA, with all the tonal shifts, subtle shadings, deft harmonies and tricky melismas delivered with virtuosic panache.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
All of Opera Neo’s singers understand the dramatic details of Handel’s vocal writing, in which melismas become emotional flourishes, alternatively celebratory, spiteful, pathetic.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2023
Her impassioned flow — which navigates through whirling R&B melismas and fiery rap bars — and endearing personality shined through early in the series.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 10 May 2023
The most obvious comparison with Joy is Vaughan herself — the rich lower register, the baroque melodic ornamentation, swoops up and down octaves from word to word, multi-note melisma stretching one-syllable words to infinity.
—Jon Garelick, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2022
Sullivan has developed into a poised if still sassy front person, reclaiming Mariah Carey-style melisma as a key part of her impressive vocals.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2022
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Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2025
Photo: David Corio/Redferns/Getty Images Popular music of the ’70s and ’80s mixed and matched parts assembled earlier in the 20th century, borrowing from the melisma of soul, the locomotion of rock and roll, the improvisational verve of jazz, and the compositional depth of classical music.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2025
This tortuous series of rhetorical oppositions is filtered through classic gestures of lament: long melismas unfurl in circuitous stepwise patterns, generally tending downward.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
And this cast sings the score as if it is embedded in their very DNA, with all the tonal shifts, subtle shadings, deft harmonies and tricky melismas delivered with virtuosic panache.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024
All of Opera Neo’s singers understand the dramatic details of Handel’s vocal writing, in which melismas become emotional flourishes, alternatively celebratory, spiteful, pathetic.
—Luke Schulze, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 July 2023
Her impassioned flow — which navigates through whirling R&B melismas and fiery rap bars — and endearing personality shined through early in the series.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 10 May 2023
The most obvious comparison with Joy is Vaughan herself — the rich lower register, the baroque melodic ornamentation, swoops up and down octaves from word to word, multi-note melisma stretching one-syllable words to infinity.
—Jon Garelick, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2022
Sullivan has developed into a poised if still sassy front person, reclaiming Mariah Carey-style melisma as a key part of her impressive vocals.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Melisma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/melisma. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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