variants
or polyphonous
as in harmonic
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Recent Examples of polyphonic
The choral elements on the record shine most vividly on the title track, which features polyphonic swells of voices humming melodies, overtaking the piano, dropping and then rising again.
—
Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Women who worked in shops sang together in bellowing, polyphonic unison.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 21 Dec. 2025
Zivix reports that its algorithms can register complex playing techniques like polyphonic bends, slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs, tapping and muting.
—New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
Your music is a fusion of avant-garde pop, electronics, and polyphonic folk.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for polyphonic
Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Women who worked in shops sang together in bellowing, polyphonic unison.
—Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 21 Dec. 2025
Zivix reports that its algorithms can register complex playing techniques like polyphonic bends, slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs, tapping and muting.
—New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2025
Your music is a fusion of avant-garde pop, electronics, and polyphonic folk.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for polyphonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polyphonic
Adjective
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The rhythmic pulse of hand clapping, accompanied by the resounding harmonic messages through voice.—
Ukee Washington,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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In this case, the two notes’ harmonic overtones overlap, and most people like listening to the sound as a result.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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My introduction to homophonic translation came from my former teacher, Mónica de la Torre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Jan. 2026
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How does this make any sense except as a very stupid, clumsy, idiotic no good way to give us a homophonic bridge to Gandalf.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
3 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Blackened with volcanic rock and encircled by towering waves, the tumultuous scenery makes a vivid psychic landscape for So Help Me God, a rambling spell of ’70s-era soul and exuberant orchestral folk-pop that sweeps through the fog of heartbreak and the clarity of self-discovery.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
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The Sunriver Music Festival brings in top musicians for orchestral events that range from family-friendly performances to classical concerts.—
Lauren Jones,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Some fans brought in drums and played ‘em in the far reaches of the upper decks, with the rhythmic sound never stopping while the ball was on the pitch.—
David Close,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Treatonomics What the data increasingly shows is a far more deliberate, rhythmic pattern of consumption, particularly among younger consumers.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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The 10 resulting short films span a wide tonal range.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 June 2026
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The Lotus bangles exemplify that thinking—open, architectural lines invite light to pass through the forms, casting reflections and subtle tonal variations as the wrist moves—objects made to engage naturally with the body.—
Jill Newman,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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Probably because at the time many of the time signatures and chordal progressions that Miles used were over the head of a young guitar player still functioning in the blues and folk idioms.—
Steve Baltin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
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Hudson buttressed Al Kooper’s original organ part into a chordal fortress, part of an incendiary performance that surges to peak after peak.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Bach was lively, supple, and, especially in the Larghetto, generous in its songful musicality.—
Jeremy Eichler,
BostonGlobe.com,
23 Sep. 2022
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In the early going, some tender yet mystic motifs suggest the songful chromaticism of Olivier Messiaen.—
Seth Colter Walls,
New York Times,
26 Aug. 2022
Adjective
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And that is an ancient literary dynamic—a lyric condition, and a version of apostrophe, of addressing someone who can’t respond.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
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And Jazz, with its swinging structure and lyric language, feels especially suited for the dramatic treatment.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polyphonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polyphonic. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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