dirge

Definition of dirgenext
as in lament
a composition expressing one's grief over a loss bagpipes played a haunting dirge at the funeral for the fallen leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dirge And that's how a six and a half minute folk dirge with no hook, no guitar solo, and 28 two-line stanzas became a hit. NPR, 6 Nov. 2025 At first a dirge, then the tempo rises, and the hymnal swells. Jenny Adams, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025 Further down the lineup, Friday has Bieber collaborator and indie fave Dijon alongside the melodic dirges of Ethel Cain. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025 The Season 3 finale of the sci-fi series delivers on that promise, unfolding with the solemn rhythm of a funeral dirge. Jp Mangalindan, Time, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dirge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirge
Noun
  • While voters are extremely interested in presidential contests and other high-profile races such as governor, most don’t pay attention to local contests, something both Democrats and Republicans lament.
    Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Ravel imagined his Pavane not as a lament for a dead princess, but as a gentle dance for a little girl in a 16th century painting.
    Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In Berceuse Parish, there are so many elegies.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
  • The show, a sort of elegy for Gen X, opens with a flash-forward to July 16, 1999, the final hours of Carolyn and John.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • There, he was honored with salutes and a requiem.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
  • Finally, 110 words into his statement, Trump closed with a proper requiem for the deceased.
    Michael Collins, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dirge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirge. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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