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
Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
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
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Adjective
The installation, a duet between light and marble, operated on an uncanny plane that encompassed the elegiac history of Burton’s curved seating arrangement while recovering a sense of interior intimacy.
—Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
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
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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Elmina, Ghana Africa's shores may be beautiful, but there's a somber history beyond the sun and sand.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
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The morning may feel more somber and reflective, yet by midday, the vibe smooths into something more cooperative and actionable.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For two teens unable to use their legs, the future was especially bleak.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
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So what’s to be done when things look bleak?—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In Berceuse Parish, there are so many elegies.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Comedian Chris Tucker added some levity to the solemn services with a stand-up set.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Also present for the solemn event were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Two taps of the helmet on back-to-back pitches changed the course of the game.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
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And then, when a financial crisis in very short term lending broke out in August 2007, followed by the failure of investment banks Bear Stearns in March 2008, and Lehman Brothers that October, a panicked Fed opened money taps to an unprecedented degree.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The aggression with which both parties have worked to manipulate district lines—while loudly inveighing against the other party for doing the exact same thing—is cynical and depressing.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
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The case exposed the depressing banality of it all—the man smiling politely at you at the bakery, only to rape your comatose body at night.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 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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Labrum presented a global outlook with block-print denim suits and dark wash denim coordinates embellished with oversized brooches and unconventional hardware.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Mar. 2026
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For best results, use a dark or espresso roast, use the smallest cup setting available and use the strongest brew setting.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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