as in accent
the attractive quality of speech or music that rises and falls in a pleasing pattern
There was a charming lilt to her voice. a tune with a lilt
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Recent Examples of lilt
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
Waltzing along the fine line between preciousness and profundity, Brion’s lilting piano theme perfectly echoes the tone of a beguiling romance that — by design — struggles to find a balance in its feelings.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
The white grape Bayan Shira produces fresh, zesty, semi complex and easy drinking wines with bright acidity, juicy tropicals, minerality and sometimes a slightly honeyed mid palate—similar to a Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend but with more of a tangerine lilt.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Noun
Platt has assembled key creatives from his own Oscar-winning La La Land including songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have provided some lively and lilting new tunes.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
Waltzing along the fine line between preciousness and profundity, Brion’s lilting piano theme perfectly echoes the tone of a beguiling romance that — by design — struggles to find a balance in its feelings.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2024
Verb
Wallen’s voice has an easy lilt that reminds me of someone distractedly practicing their golf swing in the sporting-goods aisle of a big box store.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
The white grape Bayan Shira produces fresh, zesty, semi complex and easy drinking wines with bright acidity, juicy tropicals, minerality and sometimes a slightly honeyed mid palate—similar to a Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon blend but with more of a tangerine lilt.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilt
Noun
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There’s open-pore wood trim with backlit accents, brushed aluminum trim, a wide range of ambient lights and three-zone climate control.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Aug. 2025
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Griffith produced a Meta Quest 3 virtual-reality headset and a pair of earphones, and, after a moment, the dweller was no longer in his dwelling but soaring over the Swiss Alps, near the Monte Rosa massif, in the company of a couple of paragliders with Austrian-ish accents.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On today’s episode: John Legend croons; CPI inflation soothes; Same job as mom?—
Darian Woods,
NPR,
15 Aug. 2025
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In between shots of his family time, Justin dances across the edge of the boat, sings straight at director Cole Bennett's camera and moodily croons while gazing at the floor.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In a world where threats emerge by the minute and regulations evolve constantly, this cadence is inadequate.—
Leo Patching,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Pascal plays Ezra, the verbal member of the duo, whose swagger and cowboy cadence are a surefire signifier of impending shoot-outs.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The idea was that it was supposed to measure some kind of a brainwave flow and then maybe warble a tone when the brainwave state changed.—
Brandon Sneed,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
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The track begins with Winter’s distinct vocals warbling and wobbling over a tender percussion groove.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
8 July 2025
Noun
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As for the rest of the offense, which has struggled to find a rhythm in training camp, this week's joint practices with the Miami Dolphins in Allen Park should answer some questions.—
Christian Romo,
Freep.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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The center of attention will be the heart-pounding rhythms of Fushu Daiko’s taiko drumming shows, with three performances scheduled each day at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Morikami Theater.—
Kari Barnett,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Thompson was pretty brave for weaving his fingers with Meg's, considering how long and sharp her stiletto manicure is.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
17 July 2025
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The Wolf & Shepherd Crossover Plain Toe Derby Shoes are $87 off and sharp enough for weddings or work trips.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Hiring has kept up a solid, albeit slower pace, humming along with less disruption than some economists anticipated.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
1 Aug. 2025
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The Nets could never find a way to get their offense humming in minutes.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
21 July 2025
Verb
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There’ll probably be some cowbells, and there might be someone trilling in sultry Portuguese or a burst of wordless, stoic alpha-male grunts.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
26 Mar. 2025
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Her soft-focus voice floats over trilling mandolin picking and reserved fiddle.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilt. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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