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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in lyrical
having a pleasantly flowing quality suggestive of music
they performed a slow, lyric dance for the audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poetic
having qualities suggestive of poetry
the film's lyric photography really enhanced its romantic mood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lyric
Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026
Over the years, his lyrics haven’t changed much, but the perspective has shifted from observant kid caught in the mix to pushing-30 vet cutting memory tracks on the days when life was a lot simpler.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
Jennifer Armstrong, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lyric
Noun
The album teams with moments like this, bits where the music might evoke a modern homespun permutation of greats like Daryl Hall and John Oates or even Prince, and the lyrics add new wrinkles to classic pop heartbreak.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026
Over the years, his lyrics haven’t changed much, but the perspective has shifted from observant kid caught in the mix to pushing-30 vet cutting memory tracks on the days when life was a lot simpler.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
Adjective
The pandemic special is not available online, but why not queue up this lyric video version for a pick-me-up?
—Jennifer Armstrong, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026
And through all this, Saariaho’s elaborately beautiful orchestration scintillates, jabs, caresses, and swerves, giving all that vivid misery a sheen of lyric glamour.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lyric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lyric
Noun
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Far from moderating political passions, Freneau stoked hatred of his political rivals, the Federalists, and their leader, Alexander Hamilton, even publishing an anti-Semitic poem comparing Hamilton’s work at the Treasury Department to that of Jewish moneylenders.—
Jeffrey Rosen,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
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The film is a re-telling of Homer’s poem about Odysseus’ long journey home.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The ballad also aligns with the perspective of Jessie’s (Joan Cusack) abandonment and eventual joining of Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz’s (Tim Allen) crew of toys that once belonged to Andy and now live with Bonnie.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
His ballads of rainy English angst went over big in the land of sun and surf.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Halberstam called Heat games on radio from 1992 to 1998, displaying a lyrical style and a rich command of the English language.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
-
The lyrical direction of this record intrigued me.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Through this deceptively simple framework, Hiraide delivers a poetic and poignant meditation on the passage of time, the meaning of work and love, and the surprise of finding joy in life’s ephemeral details.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
While this can also be deeply romantic and poetic, themes surrounding your home, family, friendships and inner world take precedence.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The singer performed her new song at the Toy Story 5 premiere in Los Angeles Tuesday night, then jetted over to New York for the big game.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
11 June 2026
-
The songs are performed live onstage by a company of musicians and actors, with Shakespeare’s text and Radiohead’s music set in dialogue throughout.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
During the memorial service, hundreds of students from Utumishi Girls Academy sang a somber hymn declaring that all shall be well.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
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Traditionally played on string instruments like the dulcimer, fiddle, and banjo, this distinctly twangy genre passed down religious hymns, ballads, and folktales through generations.—
Hillary Richard,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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There has never quite been a critical or scholarly consensus about them, but Bellini, whose music is suspended somewhere between Rossini’s precise brilliance and Donizetti’s rhetorical force, can move audiences with his melodic facility.—
Arya Roshanian,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
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Where most conversations are half-silent, important figures in Rimbaud’s life are embodied by musical instruments, ranging from overbearing tubas to melodic strings, depending on who’s speaking and their place in the story.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
2 June 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Lyric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lyric. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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