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
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
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
Adjective
-
The film breathes in a dynamic way, the last few beats taking a startling turn toward a somber wistfulness.
-
The hilltop De Smet Cemetery strikes a somber note.
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.
-
The film uses one man’s late life as an elegy for a disappearing Canarian way of being, its rituals, its rootedness, its relationship to the land.
Adjective
-
The goofy sketch comedies and homemade spoofs that once filled his channel gradually disappeared, replaced by melancholy short films and bleak monologues.
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Cher’s court documents paint a bleak picture of how Allman, 49, allegedly blows through his $120,000 annual trust distributions.
Noun
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Small white lights shine through the fabric to guide your taps.
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Return your right hand to the floor and repeat on the other side (this time, left hand taps right shoulder).
Adjective
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My wish also is that soloists cease all their vocal theatrics, which only distort and cheapen the solemn rendition of our anthem.
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The solemn observance honored the victims, survivors and first responders involved in the unprecedented search and recovery effort.
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.
-
The already dirge-like film downshifts further, towards a more pleasant state of repose, as Robin convalesces.
Adjective
-
What a depressing, disturbing waste, no matter the final verdict.
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After watching and enjoying the film, a somewhat depressing thought leaped into my mind.
Adjective
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Tourism and city officials say that marketplace channels festival foot traffic directly to Black entrepreneurs and helps keep dollars circulating in local neighborhoods long after the stages go dark.
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Jason kept the look casual in a light blue graphic T-shirt, white shorts, a baseball cap and dark sunglasses.
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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