variants
also elegiacal
as in depressing
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the sight of an old ruined church or castle can be a pleasantly elegiac experience
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elegiac
Nate Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
Anatomy of a Transpacific Cyber Campaign by Michael Berry
Sam Needleman
‘On the Brink of Erasure’
Tacita Dean’s mesmerizing, elegiac drawing and filmmaking spring from both broad exploration and acute focus.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2025
The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
But another Best Picture nominee offered a more playful variation on The Wild Bunch’s elegiac spirit, the George Roy Hill–directed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws roaming an Old West that’s starting to leave them behind.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Noun
The author’s elegiac prose is wrought in English by translator Humphrey Davies.
—Nate Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 1 May 2025
Anatomy of a Transpacific Cyber Campaign by Michael Berry
Sam Needleman
‘On the Brink of Erasure’
Tacita Dean’s mesmerizing, elegiac drawing and filmmaking spring from both broad exploration and acute focus.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2025
The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
But another Best Picture nominee offered a more playful variation on The Wild Bunch’s elegiac spirit, the George Roy Hill–directed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws roaming an Old West that’s starting to leave them behind.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac
Adjective
-
And on that depressing thought, that's how Squid Game ended.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
27 June 2025
-
That’s a depressing setup, but the film is a lot gentler.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Caregivers of individuals under 60 are nearly 4 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms than non-caregivers and are less likely to seek treatment.—
Tom Chiodo,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Compared to those who did not follow a specific diet, those who stuck to a calorie-restrictive diet — including overweight individuals — saw an increase in depressive symptom severity, the study found.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Vo’s ongoing examination of empire and identity unfolds here as both monument and elegy.—
Nel-Olivia Waga,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
What if Durham’s vision for the sequel could be turned inside out, undergoing a transformation like The Greatest from retrospective to comeback, elegy to unfinished story.—
Melina Moe
May 19,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
The morbid spectacle spawned podcasts, documentaries and multiple changes to state law.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
8 June 2025
-
There’s also the morbid curiosity about Brian’s death.—
Tyler Hicks,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
Noun
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This eatery at the summit of Cannon’s tramway offers cafeteria food, grab-and-go options, and, most notably, the highest-elevation beer taps in the state of New Hampshire.—
Sarah Cahalan,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Dec. 2024
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This lack of resolution taps into the brain’s natural drive for cognitive closure, which according to 2014 study, is the innate desire to resolve ambiguity and make sense of unfinished experiences.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But when the movie started, the mood turned funereal.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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The former president was seen taking a photo with another mourner; his wife, like first lady Melania Trump — in attendance with President Trump — wore a funereal veil.—
Adam Carlson,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After learning of the loss of the iron ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior and the deaths of all 29 crew members from Newsweek, Gord lifted passages from the article and put them to a dreamy dirge: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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Though it was written around the time of Malibu’s Woolsey fire, the 14-minute long dirge that encompasses flames in Malibu and a cougar that roams the hills took on a new and sinister meaning in the aftermath of the more recent fires.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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With nail trends being so chill over the last year or two—who knew nude nails would be so hot for so long?—those of us who were once confident DIYing our nail art may feel a bit out of practice these days.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
3 June 2025
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Compared to the other breakups in the house, Ciara and West are almost chill.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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