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threnody

noun thren·o·dy \ ˈthre-nə-dē \

Definition of threnody

plural threnodies
: a song of lamentation for the dead : elegy

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Examples of threnody in a Sentence

  1. the composer's cello concerto was composed as a moving threnody for his late wife

Recent Examples of threnody from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'threnody.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Threnody encompasses all genres. There are great threnodies in prose (such as the lines from Charles Dickens’ Bleak House upon the death of Little Jo: "Dead, your Majesty. Dead, my lords and gentlemen. Dead…."), in poetry (as in W. H. Auden’s "Funeral Blues": "The stars are not wanted now: put out every one, / Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun…."), and in music (Giovanni Pergolesi’s "Stabat Mater," for one). Threnody, which we borrowed from the Greek word thrēnōidia (from thrēnos, the word for "dirge"), has survived in English since the early 1600s. Melody, tragedy, and comedy are related to threnody through the Greek root that forms their ending-aeidein, which means "to sing."

Origin and Etymology of threnody

Greek thrēnōidia, from thrēnos dirge + aeidein to sing — more at drone, ode

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

THRENODY Defined for English Language Learners

threnody

noun

Definition of threnody for English Language Learners

  • : a song or poem that expresses sorrow for someone who is dead

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