1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

vocal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈvō-kəl How to pronounce vocal (audio)
Definition of vocalnext
as in voiced
expressed or communicated by voice our cat is given to making strange vocal noises in the dead of night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vocal

2 of 2

noun

as in ballad
a short musical composition for the human voice often with instrumental accompaniment a recording artist who arranges his own vocals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 vocal
Adjective
Also, the vocal tracts and brains of our ancestors did not fossilize as they were made of soft tissue. — Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026 Gilbert married Cimorelli, who is in a vocal group with her sisters, in 2020. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
Hanlon reimagined the song with a bachata rhythm, while Thalia brought her powerful pop vocals and a distinctly Mexican touch to the arrangement. — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2026 Parton recorded her vocals for the track in 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Rolling Stone reported. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vocal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vocal
  1. voiced
  2. ballad
  3. spoken
  4. song
  5. uttered
  6. lyric
  7. oral
  8. hymn
Adjective
  • Sanders, who co-directed the original movie and voiced Stitch, reprised his voice-over role in the 2025 update.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 July 2025
  • Several cast members returned, including co-writer and co-director Chris Sanders, who created and voiced Stitch.
    — Jordana Comiter, People.com, 24 May 2025
Definition of voiced
Noun
  • By 2017, Cyrus was covering her tattoos with makeup, wearing all white, and singing ballads of marital devotion.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • What comes in between includes a surprising number of love ballads and a few odd outliers.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of ballad
Adjective
  • Early versions included spoken dialogue between the sisters at the center of the story.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
  • That data flows into BlindSquare, which provides spoken alerts in 26 languages about hazards roughly 10 meters ahead.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of spoken
Noun
  • In the ‘90s-style video of the song, Swift participates in a dance competition and receives three zeroes from the judges.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
  • American and German pop songs have, over the past fifty years, become more self-focused.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of song
Adjective
  • For all their speed-to-market and trend obsessions, fashion companies struggle to update the systems and materials that go into their products, meaning churn reigns and improvements are consigned to that oft-uttered utopian destination known as ‘when there’s time’.
    — Brooke Roberts-Islam, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
  • Each line encourages a body to shift when uttered or even when read silently to oneself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 May 2026
Definition of uttered
Noun
  • The show won eight Tony Awards, including two for Sheik, for the score — shared with the musical’s book and lyrics writer, Steven Sater — and for orchestrations.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • With its fragile acoustic melodies, desolate lyrics, and spare, subtle studio accompaniment, Ride Lonesome is like Nick Drake’s mumble-folk masterpiece Bryter Layter as the work of a lovelorn Laurel Canyon soft-rock poet.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of lyric
Adjective
  • The medical community notes that long-term betel nut use can damage teeth, increase the risk of heart disease, and lead to oral cancer due to the chemicals within.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Watch for primary care physicians and dentists to more routinely screen partnered snorers for obstructive sleep apnea, and for CPAP and oral-appliance referrals to rise alongside sleep-divorce coverage.
    — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of oral
Noun
  • One of the entrants for the Festival Poems had been a sham Wordsworthian hymn to the poor flowers.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The crowd listened in silence as the Polynesians, wearing blue fire uniforms, sang a Tahitian hymn in harmony while two of them strummed ukuleles.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of hymn

Browse Nearby Words

vocabulary
vocal
vocalist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vocal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vocal. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All