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
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
So David offers Sarah a ride back to the city, at which point the car-radio version of Tinder with the mellifluous lilt directs them to a mysterious red door in the middle of nowhere.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2025
Carpenter is plainly a student of Parton’s, evoking her pinup styling (voluminous hair, big red lips), her persona (sharp with a knowing wink), and her voice, which is rich and husky and accompanied by a country lilt.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Noun
Being the naive newbie in Idaho does suit Cale, with his British lilt and fey enthusiasm for the manliness of the West.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
So David offers Sarah a ride back to the city, at which point the car-radio version of Tinder with the mellifluous lilt directs them to a mysterious red door in the middle of nowhere.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
The album is a triumphant release that balances anger and grief and, at times, surprising joy, with Estrada’s bright, lilting soprano piercing through the veil of her pain.
—Cat Cardenas, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2025
Carpenter is plainly a student of Parton’s, evoking her pinup styling (voluminous hair, big red lips), her persona (sharp with a knowing wink), and her voice, which is rich and husky and accompanied by a country lilt.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilt
Noun
-
Aasif Mandvi and Christopher Fitzgerald barely register as Jane and Julia’s oblivious husbands, while Consuelos, who plays Maurice as a suave cuckolder with a dodgy European accent, should probably stick to daytime TV.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Designed by Meyer Davis (of 1 Hotel South Beach, Four Seasons Resort and Residences at Cabo Del Sol, and W Rome), the 200-seat bistro has teak wood floors, polished nickel accents, and waterfront views at every turn.—
Karla Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alfred, our pianist and vocalist in Dolce Vita, crooned standards beautifully and always drew a crowd.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
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Keepin' Country Cool (April 22) Much like Kahan is letting fans into his behind-the-scenes life earlier in the month, on April 22 musician Lainey Wilson is leading a documentary about her brand of country crooning.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For decades, the weather service released weather balloons at a clockworklike cadence at more than 100 sites across the country, as well as over the Pacific and the Caribbean.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Apple has never had a consistent annual film mandate, nor a film release cadence.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
The famous John Williams fanfare that blasted Star Wars onto our screens had appreciably less impact than even a standard screen would now offer, let alone IMAX and Dolby Cinema premium offerings while at some parts of the film, the sound warbled a little, before returning to normal.—
Benny Har-Even,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
In the course of the narrative, as John is embraced by friends and assaulted by strangers, Jones’s storytelling veers between breakthroughs and setbacks with a rhythm so mechanical as to verge on metronomic.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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For an Orlando attack trying to establish a consistent rhythm, Saturday offers a chance to capitalize on a leaky defense and gain ground in the Eastern Conference standings.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In the fall, the workers trade in their pruning shears for knives sharp enough to skin a deer in minutes.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Nov. 2025
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Today there’s a rich universe of supplemental Pynchon material ranging from prose only an English PhD could unpack, to sharp analysis that makes the experience of reading Pynchon communal and fun.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Just outside the main entrance of Spectrum Center, as a saxophone blared and drums rumbled and fans hummed past each other with life, there stood Bradley Davis.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2026
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The church hummed with energy as the gathering engaged in call-and-response heard just about any Sunday in Baptist churches.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a now-viral clip, Carpenter overheard someone from the crowd trilling during her set for Weekend 1 and asked if the audience member was yodeling.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
11 Apr. 2026
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Serene spa music, a blend of classical piano and loudly chirping birds, trilled in the background as the machine sloshed and gurgled.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilt. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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