1
as in melodic
having a pleasantly flowing quality suggestive of music
the lyrical cadences of voice-over narration give the film a very poignant quality
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poetic
having qualities suggestive of poetry
the photographer achieves a very lyrical effect with her intentionally blurred images of flowers growing in the wild
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Recent Examples of lyrical
The production, subduedly aglow in Adam Honoré and Spencer Doughtie’s lighting, has the lyrical beauty of a vintage photograph magically summoned to life.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Common, a Chicago native, has built a career within hip-hop centered on culture and community through his thought-provoking lyrical style.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
As voices arrive—some direct, some sampled—the track is subsumed by texture, demanding little in the way of lyrical comprehension.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
The insects’ signature chirps, conducted using their legs like guitar strings, are loud and lyrical, and one species is even named after a fellow Lone Star State icon, Willie Nelson.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lyrical
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Common, a Chicago native, has built a career within hip-hop centered on culture and community through his thought-provoking lyrical style.
—Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2026
As voices arrive—some direct, some sampled—the track is subsumed by texture, demanding little in the way of lyrical comprehension.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 13 Apr. 2026
The insects’ signature chirps, conducted using their legs like guitar strings, are loud and lyrical, and one species is even named after a fellow Lone Star State icon, Willie Nelson.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lyrical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lyrical
Adjective
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And, as a result, Magnolia Sage ventures into melodic ground for the artist.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Smith probably won’t be the only listener surprised by the album, which combines some downtown rock with gentle, playful story-songs that swerve toward an almost Buddy Holly-ish melodic sweetness.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Tugging on the heartstrings can be a cheap trick in the hands of the wrong songwriter, but the genre’s best songs are redeemed by a fastidious eye and a poetic ear.—
Jack Hamilton,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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Some of the speeches are positively poetic.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The education division of Maker Park Radio, a nonprofit streaming station based in Stapleton, offers courses on vinyl, hip-hop lyric writing, live remixing, and intro to music production and sampling.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
16 Apr. 2026
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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
Adjective
-
There are ones who are more ideological, others more poetical.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
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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
“Lyrical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lyrical. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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