melismatic

adjective

mel·​is·​mat·​ic ¦melə̇z¦matik 

1

: of or relating to a style of plainsong in which single syllables of text are set with several notes apiece

a melismatic chant

compare syllabic, neumatic

2

: relating to or having melismas : florid

And in "I Can't Help Loving You" he sang a jumble of melismatic notes in the first chorus which were so crowded and rich they gave off heat.

—Whitney Balliett, New Yorker, 22 July 1985

Word History

Etymology

Greek melismat-, melisma + English -ic

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Rhymes for melismatic

• achromatic
• acrobatic
• adriatic
• aliphatic
• antistatic
• aromatic
• astigmatic
• autocratic
• automatic
• bureaucratic
• charismatic
• cholestatic