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
Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Quietly elegiac and lushly romantic, this beloved piece captures the play’s contemplative pace and the sense of grief and yearning that runs throughout.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Adjective
There is an elegiac tone and a dash of wit in this lovely, small-scale film held together by Willem Dafoe‘s magnetic presence and natural but compelling performance.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
Quietly elegiac and lushly romantic, this beloved piece captures the play’s contemplative pace and the sense of grief and yearning that runs throughout.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 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
-
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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Immigration tales tend to adopt a hybrid form—part elegy for life in the home country, part hymn to the promise of the new.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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At the juncture between postwar noir and golden-age melodrama is Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, a saturnine elegy to a lost Hollywood of the silent era, when faces and charisma were more desirable than voices or talent.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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While solemn Veterans Day remembrance ceremonies were taking place at the National WWI Museum and Memorial on Tuesday, people were also there observing the holiday by making replicas of poppies.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
12 Nov. 2025
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The solemn occasion is a time to reflect on these American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
10 Nov. 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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The sky was cloudless and dark with the moon’s light now below the horizon.—
Sheeka Sanahori,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
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Bordered by antique wood pillar columns, the custom wood and glass front doors lead into a rotunda foyer displaying dark polished hardwood floors that run throughout the interiors.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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