Synonyms of elegy

elegy

noun

ˈe-lə-jē 

as in lament

a composition expressing one's grief over a loss

"O Captain! My Captain!" is Walt Whitman's elegy on the death of President Lincoln

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lament
• dirge
• requiem
• threnody
• taps
• monody
• elegiac

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eulogy
• paean
• panegyric
• encomium

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of elegy

The touchstones are plentiful—Harmonia’s cyclical drift, Alice Coltrane’s stargazing elegies, gamelan’s hypnotic shimmer—but the song is strange and unpredictable. — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026

This isn’t just an elegy for a lost boy, but also a way for McElwee to put his own career into the larger context of his life. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026

Not long after, his elegy was answered, as neotraditional sounds have made a big comeback on country radio, led by artists like Zach Top and Midland. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026

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. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026