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lilting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of liltingnext
1
as in swaying

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in jaunty

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lilting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lilt
as in crooning

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lilting
Adjective
What Doremus has done though, is to make his own thing with a similar concept, a film greatly enhanced by the lilting presence of Clarke, who is wonderful in this role(s), showing us the glory of fate, and its price. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 June 2026 Malcolm Todd is a rising star with a sweet, lilting voice and a knack for intimate popcraft. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026 Tripping along a lilting triplet rhythm, the album opens with one of its catchiest melodies—and one of those sleight-of-hand maneuvers that are Hoop’s specialty. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 19 May 2026 At the song’s lilting refrain, the kids led the teams onto the field, the crowd growing still louder. — Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lilting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilting
  1. swaying
  2. jaunty
  3. crooning
  4. musical
  5. sprightly
  6. quavering
  7. chirpy
  8. trilling
Adjective
  • As the sun set below blush clouds, the gently swaying crowd matched the R&B singer’s sultry energy.
    — Anna Haines, Vogue, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of swaying
Adjective
  • Adding an eclectic soundtrack that mixes opera with vintage French pop and jaunty tunes that sound like they were lifted from 1960s French comedies, the filmmakers make generous allowances for humor amid the seriousness of the profession.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The dogs have a jaunty gait and are always up for a walk around the block.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Definition of jaunty
Verb
  • Before then, monochromatic clips show Karol and Mars racing around on go-karts, trading lyrics back and forth in the empty lower bowl seating area, and crooning over a guitar backstage.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In a profoundly prolific decade, Texas singer-songwriter Charley Crockett has refined a soulful country purview, crooning sweetly about love and perseverance in misfortune and yielding rave reviews and Grammy nominations.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of crooning
Adjective
  • How the band’s approach to recording has matured, and why Fairchild now cares more about emotion and connection than musical perfection.
    — Sid Evans, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The daughter of music legend Johnny Cash and his first wife Vivian Liberto, Cash and her longtime musical collaborator and husband John Leventhal hit the road in August for a tour that kicked off in New York.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of musical
Adjective
  • In a sprightly performance rife with oddball mannerisms, Gnecco gives Borges equal parts impish wisdom, earthy vulgarity and childlike wonder, rarely letting a moment’s silence go unfilled with eager chatter.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
  • With the sprightly energy of a schoolboy, Jean-Paul Doron bounds into an empty creek, his red suede shoes scraping pale rocks.
    — Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sprightly
Verb
  • Tiny Silver was a birdlike woman, either very young or very old, quavering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Softly so as not to drown out the quavering notes, the congregation put words to the melody.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026
Definition of quavering
Adjective
  • And while Foy is appealing as the indefatigable mother, Garfield leans too heavily into manic cutesiness as the endlessly chirpy father who at times seems less grown-up than his children.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
  • After New Year’s our mother dumps it, with all the glossy families and chirpy letters, in the trash.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Definition of chirpy
Verb
  • The chihuahuan raven has a somewhat different vocalization, with more of a trilling quality to its croak.
    — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm Campground This trail almost entirely follows the coast for 7 miles, with a soundtrack of lapping waves, trilling loons, and the occasional outboard motor.
    — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 7 June 2026
Definition of trilling

Browse Nearby Words

lilted
lilting
lilts
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Cite this Entry

“Lilting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilting. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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