elegiac 1 of 2

adjective

ˌe-lə-ˈjī-ək How to pronounce elegiac (audio)
variants also elegiacal
Definition of elegiacnext
as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer the sight of an old ruined church or castle can be a pleasantly elegiac experience

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

elegiac

2 of 2

noun

as in monody

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 elegiac
Adjective
Roversi’s elegiac style was inspired by the Byzantine architecture and cultural backdrop of his hometown as well as the work of August Sander, Robert Frank and Diane Arbus. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 15 May 2026 The bulk of McCartney’s setlist consisted of Beatles songs—more than 20 of them—but the show didn’t feel like a nostalgia tour, because the effect was less sentimental and more elegiac. — David L. Ulin, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Noun
There’s also something a little elegiac about it. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac
  1. somber
  2. elegy
  3. bleak
  4. taps
  5. solemn
  6. dirge
  7. depressing
  8. dark
Adjective
  • The contrast of Mariama’s experience makes Stella’s life look practically as somber and sordid as a film noir, where no one can be trusted and tragedy lurks from all sides.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 15 July 2026
  • This somber Australian chiller, done in an exceptionally authentic faux-doc style, follows a family trying to piece together unexplainable supernatural events in the aftermath of their daughter’s tragic, seemingly accidental death.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
Definition of somber
Noun
  • Kim Kardashian shared her own elegy for MJ a few hours after her mom on Instagram.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 July 2026
  • The touchstones are plentiful—Harmonia’s cyclical drift, Alice Coltrane’s stargazing elegies, gamelan’s hypnotic shimmer—but the song is strange and unpredictable.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026
Definition of elegy
Adjective
  • Political instability is the new normal, and the national mood is bleak.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • And into this bleak landscape marches the blue-haired angel, Gabriel.
    — Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
Definition of bleak
Noun
  • Even small toe-taps or a light head bob accompanies the least energetic.
    — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
  • The network taps established play-by-play voice Phil Liggett as the narrator and former cyclist Bob Roll as the lead analyst.
    — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of taps
Adjective
  • In both the novel and its film adaptation, the scriptorium is portrayed as a solemn place where writing is a mechanical, joyless labor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • But the challenge has remained over the decades for popes that the threat of schism, or a rupture within the church, might lurk behind a preference for a more solemn liturgy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of solemn
Noun
  • Ashura processions are usually dramatic affairs, with chanters singing elegies or dirges dedicated to Hussein, while audience members beat their chests and engage in displays of mourning.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • This is the starting point of Earth 7, Deb Olin Unferth’s stellar and sweeping science fiction novel that is part cosmic comedy and part dirge to our dying world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of dirge
Adjective
  • In addition to which, the Moon is lined up with stern Saturn, which can be depressing.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
  • Laughter and jokes are banned, and writing is presented as arduous and faintly depressing.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Aerial footage showed heavy damage to the suspect's vehicle, a dark gray sedan.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • They're headed to a battery recycler who will shred them into a fine, dark powder called black mass, from which those minerals can be recovered and reused in new batteries.
    — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 July 2026
Definition of dark

Browse Nearby Words

elegantly
elegiac
elegiacs
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Cite this Entry

“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of elegiac for Spanish Speakers

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