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
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Stitt, 61, still talks about Mines with a lilt in his voice.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2025
The Canadian jazz crooner once again brings her lush contralto and lilting piano to the cozy waterside locale on Tuesday night.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Noun
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
Stitt, 61, still talks about Mines with a lilt in his voice.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 16 July 2025
Verb
The show starts calmly with the dapper musician Coalhouse Walker Jr. astride his piano bench, playing a gentle, lilting ragtime melody.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2025
The Canadian jazz crooner once again brings her lush contralto and lilting piano to the cozy waterside locale on Tuesday night.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilt
Noun
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In one case captured on video, an agent told a man in a Minneapolis suburb he was being detained because of his accent.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Available in several seat configurations, with premium materials like Napa leather and carbon fiber accents, plus special SRT Hellcat logo branding.—
Tony Leopardo,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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What’s more, he is seen and heard crooning more than his costar in the film Kelly Rowland, who was one third of the legendary girl group Destiny’s Child, and has had a successful solo career since.—
Lisa Respers France,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Richard Marx croons his way onto Billboard’s jazz charts for the first time in a career as a lead recording artist that dates back almost 40 years.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Video footage shows Bolt taking shorter strides than Wang but compensating with a much faster cadence, reports People’s Daily Online.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
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To earn money, podcasters need to release content on a regular cadence.—
Sara Talpos — Undark,
STAT,
3 Feb. 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
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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
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For months, the sky follows the familiar rhythm of new and full moons, and then — seemingly out of nowhere — the sky delivers two major eclipses just weeks apart.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Bad Bunny wrapped up the show with a display of Latin American and Caribbean flags while singing a plena song with African rhythms used for both protest and celebration.—
Lara N. Dotson-Renta,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 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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Her Sunnyside restaurant feels like a celebration of cultures, flowing with fruit-forward cocktails, as tables share stews like the red lentil misir humming with heat and warmed with cardamom and cloves.—
Andrea Strong,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
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Memphis’ offense continued to hum after halftime, taking a 98-85 lead into the fourth quarter.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The temperature plunges; Reilly’s trills harden into an Old World dirge.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
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The sound design is visceral and satisfying, with insects trilling, horses snuffing, and boots in gravel subbing for a traditional score.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilt. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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