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
Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
The film’s craft — from production design and makeup to Alexandre Desplat’s elegiac score — is already drawing awards buzz.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Adjective
McGuane’s style grew less frantic, more habitually elegiac.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
The film’s craft — from production design and makeup to Alexandre Desplat’s elegiac score — is already drawing awards buzz.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Sep. 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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With so many comedy writers on the bill, the Broder tribute was no somber affair.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
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As is tradition, all the women were dressed in black ensembles to mark the somber occasion, which commemorates members of the military from Britain and the Commonwealth who have died in battle.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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When everything looks bleak, a woman holds it up victoriously.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
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New York — US stocks closed lower Thursday as concerns mounted about expensive tech stocks, and a risk-off sentiment spread through markets after new data showed a bleak outlook for the job market.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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Public Theater Else Went’s epic elegy to the great loves and losses of high school captured a certain moment — the precarious turn of the millennium — and a certain kind of teenage terror and heartache with precision and compassion.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
Anna Meiler,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Central Arizona cities have kept the taps flowing to residents without restrictions, even as a 30-year drought deepens on the Colorado River.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Highlights include a military parade, flyover by the Salute Formation Flying Team, military review by the Academy’s Corps of Cadets, wreath presentation and the playing of taps.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Green Bay Packers suffered a brutal injury blow during their depressing Week 9 loss against the Carolina Panthers at home.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Soon, the entire room was awash with clippings, each detailing a different duplicitous scheme — a depressing reflection of how scam culture was taking over my country, eroding our trust in each other.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
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At first a dirge, then the tempo rises, and the hymnal swells.—
Jenny Adams,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Don't feel afraid to play with bold (but dark) colors and various materials.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
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Open my soul to the vast dark places.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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