variants
also elegiacal
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elegiac
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
McGuane’s style grew less frantic, more habitually elegiac.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Adjective
The doctor himself is characterized sometimes by boisterously chattering lines, sometimes by semi-Wagnerian bombast; at the end, his music turns elegiac, implicitly undercutting his dreams of beginning anew.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
McGuane’s style grew less frantic, more habitually elegiac.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
Works of art have particular shapes (three-minute pop songs, three-act plays) and particular moods and tones (comic, tragic, romantic, elegiac).
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac
Adjective
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Guthrie's three children also shared a somber and tearful plea that evening, asking for their mother to be returned home after her disappearance, now in its fifth day.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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The western Maryland battleground still carries a somber, haunting energy, a reminder of the war’s steep cost.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Internet connectivity has been partially restored, but experts are warning that, even on the other side of the digital blackout, the outlook for Iranian internet access remains bleak.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
-
In Havana, reaction to the president's upcoming contingency plan to grapple with fuel shortages was bleak.—
Orlando Matos,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Plus an elegy for Breonna Taylor, featuring cellist Jeffrey Zeigler.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
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These books can be read as comedies of cognitive dissonance or as melancholy elegies for the very possibility of closure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Although there will be a couple of weeks of sports competitions to come, none are possible without an opening ceremony, a combination of solemn official protocol with a fantastic representation of the host country’s culture and character, evoking the Olympic spirit itself.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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The show looks glamorous — custom design, lush staging, a format that nods to late-night talk shows rather than solemn panels.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By joining six other states to demand that microplastics be included in the next round of federal monitoring (UCMR 6), Lamont is fighting for our right to know what is in our taps.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Men 50+ supplement taps saw palmetto, spermidine, moldavian dragonhead and tributyrin, aiming to boost collagen renewal, cellular health and stress defense.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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More depressing, the brothers say.—
Max Chesnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
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Any insight into the thought processes of people like him is informative and amusing, if a bit depressing as well.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The temperature plunges; Reilly’s trills harden into an Old World dirge.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
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Swedish singer-composer Anna von Hausswolff, whose cathedral melodies, intense vocals and doom-laden dirges share much in common with Nordic heavy-metal culture, specializes in mystery and grandiosity.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In a world that can feel increasingly dark and divided, this film reminds us all that everyone, everywhere deserves love.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
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Ava Phillippe tapped into the Ralph Lauren aesthetic with rugged dark wash shirt and jeans, pulled together with worn-in brown leather accessories and jacket.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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