lyric 1 of 2

noun

ˈlir-ik How to pronounce lyric (audio)
Definition of lyricnext
1
as in poem
a composition using rhythm and often rhyme to create a lyrical effect would you care to read your short lyric aloud?

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2
as in ballad
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment the guitarist sang a gentle lyric while playing

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lyric

2 of 2

adjective

1
as in lyrical
having a pleasantly flowing quality suggestive of music they performed a slow, lyric dance for the audience

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poetic
having qualities suggestive of poetry the film's lyric photography really enhanced its romantic mood

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 lyric
Noun
Writer-director Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain, NYFF62), who also wrote the show’s music and lyrics, keeps things expertly balanced on a knife’s edge between musical theater satire and cathartic character study. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 On Tuesday, Netflix released a video of Norwood performing the reboot’s theme song, which features an original beat and lyrics from previous versions sung by Phoebe Snow, Aretha Franklin, Boyz II Men, and Terrence Forsythe. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The song was paired with a lyric video that reuses two-decade-old footage shot by collaborator Cliff Watts, who also photographed Beyoncé’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2026 According to a release from Parkwood Entertainment, the song arrives along with a lyric video directed by Cliff Watts that repurposes old footage. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lyric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lyric
  1. poem
  2. ballad
  3. lyrical
  4. poetic
  5. song
  6. hymn
  7. melodic
  8. poetical
Noun
  • And for me, poems, especially these sorts of poems in this collection, are time capsules.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • For Fried is, as his poems prove, a writer attuned to the shape of thought and the sound of a word.
    — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of poem
Noun
  • Their videos work as a modern take on the narcocorridos – ballads about the trafficking underworld that drug kingpins used to praise themselves and communicate with each other, said security expert Alexei Chévez.
    — Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Much of Tulu literature and folklore has been preserved through oral tradition, especially epic ballads called paddanas.
    — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of ballad
Adjective
  • And an extremely catchy German song has gone viral in part because its lyrical refrain sounds goofy to ears used to English.
    — Greg Myre, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
  • For someone who performs in a mask and had often relied on metaphor to guide his lyrical decisions, his connection with his fans is unusually close.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
Definition of lyrical
Adjective
  • Jay McInerney waxed poetic about The Odeon in Bright Lights, Big City.
    — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Gabbriellini’s film frames the events from a tender and poetic perspective rather than reconstructing the crime, to shift the focus to its origins, exploring the human, cultural and emotional dynamics behind it.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of poetic
Noun
  • Their friendship was one of many laughs, songs and adventures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Langley’s original may be built for stadium singalongs and summer radio, but the Fallon performance proves that her song remains sensational despite the change of scenery.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of song
Noun
  • The rugby union side’s is ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’, originally an African-American hymn sung by slaves in the United States in the mid-19th century.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026
  • The hymn was dubbed by the NAACP as the Black national anthem in the early 1900s.
    — PJ Green July 30, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
Definition of hymn
Adjective
  • Angels is relentless, melodic, and aggressive—Pocket Pet and Achilles are standouts—a darkly feverish run of glitchy and tense soundscapes.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Neither part has quite enough melodic interest for me personally.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of melodic
Adjective
  • There are ones who are more ideological, others more poetical.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
  • Svelte yet heavy, Clipse’s latest sees all their phonetic and poetical gifts rendered to subtly maximal effect, with their lithe vocals cresting Pharrell’s glossy surfaces like snowfall.
    — Peter A. Berry, Variety, 11 July 2025
Definition of poetical

Browse Nearby Words

lynx-eyed
lyric
lyrical
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Cite this Entry

“Lyric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lyric. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lyric

Nglish: Translation of lyric for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lyric

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