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
Day seven ties it all together, starting with a language class built around K-Pop lyrics and K-drama scripts. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026 The band posted the new lyrics in the caption and on the image of a painting of Hansard by artist Colin Davidson. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 6 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
  • As the latest chapter in the epic British-American poem known as Fleetwood Mac,Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks are back to tolerating each other’s nonsense in a sexy way.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In addition to her poem at Diana’s funeral, Jane was an important part of her nephew Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of poem
Noun
  • Much of Tulu literature and folklore has been preserved through oral tradition, especially epic ballads called paddanas.
    — Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Some bottles just need extra time to reach their most potent peak, and the batshit ballad of Aunt Cheryl?
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 31 July 2026
Definition of ballad
Adjective
  • 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
  • The soundtrack—by the frequent Hans Zimmer collaborator David Fleming—is a delight, a polyphonic mood board of ghost-clangs, spooky bassoons, lyrical electro-motifs, and sighing sea themes.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Definition of lyrical
Adjective
  • This contemporary collaboration offers musical artistry and a cutting-edge multi-tiered sensory performance filled with all the poetic contradictions of the lake itself.
    — Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Iosseliani’s poetic portraits of life on the Soviet periphery range from neorealist documentation of collective farms to playful snapshots of Tbilisi, with a light touch reminiscent of the French New Wave.
    — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 31 July 2026
Definition of poetic
Noun
  • After nearly 50 years on Main Street in Evanston, as every song has a final note, the final note for Guitar Works is being played.
    — Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • As per usual, that song — which is the title track to band’s fourth album from 1977 — served as a massive platform for Young’s guitar work.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 6 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
  • Lenae’s vocals have always been fluid; widening her repertoire just unlocks more melodic possibilities.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The group’s fourth album Welcome to my Blue Sky was released in the spring of 2025, one which finds the group further honing their melodic, hooky songwriting.
    — Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 2 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 9 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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