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
Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The sophisticated parsing of law and finance, the hard-nosed practicality of retail politics, and the workaday lilt of person-in-the-street interviews converge on the soundtrack and are reflected in images that are modestly but candidly communicative—uninflected but humming with passion.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 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
Venezuelans credited Cardinal Parolin — who speaks English, French and near-fluent Spanish with a slight Italian lilt — with easing tensions between the government and the church.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 3 May 2025
The sophisticated parsing of law and finance, the hard-nosed practicality of retail politics, and the workaday lilt of person-in-the-street interviews converge on the soundtrack and are reflected in images that are modestly but candidly communicative—uninflected but humming with passion.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilt
Noun
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And across the pond, Dick’s doppelgänger Constable Richard (voiced by Black doing a British accent) is terrorizing the skating youth in the U.K. in the game’s London level.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
25 June 2025
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Signature Langham Pink Accents From pink flowers to cookies with pink icing, the Langham is known for its signature pink accents.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Black Francis and Emma Richardson — who joined the band in 2024 — crooned the grungy, guitar heavy tune.—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2025
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Since people started crooning her lyrics to pets, children, each other and the camera earlier this year, the song has been used in 17 million videos and racked up more than 27 billion views worldwide via the app, according to ABC News.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Carroll writes with the same playful cadence and eccentric flair that defines her voice, which is undeniably that of a decades-long Elle columnist.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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There's also a cadence sensor that straps around the pedal crank and a wire that connects the battery and motor.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 June 2025
Verb
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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
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The whole montage was respectful and gracious, with a classical score, rather than a pop chipmunk warbling a sensitive ballad about dead people.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In a moment where speed still dominates, Wales Bonner continues to build at her own rhythm.—
Karissa Mitchell,
Essence,
25 June 2025
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But to that experimental legacy, Ruhl brought her own stylistic rhythms, her own poetic forms, and her own feminist concerns.—
Pamela Newton
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Verb
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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
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The world’s second-largest economy continues to face a range of challenges, from job insecurity among the younger generation to sharp downturns in the property sector, once a cornerstone of the country’s economic growth.—
Hassan Tayir,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Step off the humming streets of Taipei, through the glass doors of the Mandarin Oriental, and the city’s energy fades behind thick stone walls.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
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With their defensive limitations, the Knicks need to make sure the offense is humming more often than not.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
17 June 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 3 Jul. 2025.
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