vocals

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 vocals Iglesias’s rico suave, international-playboy crooning style found its perfect counterpart in Parton’s fiery vocals. — Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 With his raspy and raw vocals, the young talent sings about his real-life experiences in search of an organic connection with his community. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026 That inspired her blazing recent mixtape, Eternal, which traffics in big beats, exclamatory vocals, and thoughtful lyrics about the pleasures of being in a moveable, danceable body. — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026 The vocals at this Honda Stage at the iHeartRadio Theater performance are nothing to write home about, but this live rendition is worth a watch if only for the looming, frightening, almost aggressive energy of her background singers. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 Dolly Parton, the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise, has died. — Maria Sherman, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 At times, Sixx’s backing vocals were easier to make out than Neil’s lead. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 2026 In the clip, Norwood signals the engineer before launching into a performance of the theme, which captures the songstress delivering impassioned vocals over a pulsating instrumental. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 11 Aug. 2026 The rest of the track is otherwise rendered well, with Callahan’s vocals sounding full and rich in texture. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vocals
  1. ballads
  2. songs
  3. lyrics
  4. hymns
Noun
  • Her mother, Avie Lee Parton, ran the household and was fond of singing traditional Appalachian ballads.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The result is a self-reflective collection of empowering pop anthems and wistful ballads that detail not only the dissolution of a relationship but a return to oneself.
    — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of ballads
Noun
  • But the biggest legacy Parton leaves is her songwriting, and three songs define her more than any others.
    — Wendy Hargreaves, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Video showed locals draped in Spanish flags, shouting anti-migrant slogans, and singing Spanish songs, torching the camp and throwing migrants’ belongings in the Mediterranean or into bonfires.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of songs
Noun
  • Thompson will be joined by singer-songwriter Gary Clark, providing the music, with original lyrics by both her and Clark.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • His creative, direct lyrics and distinctive performance style serve as powerful assets in his bid to win over the public.
    — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of lyrics
Noun
  • The scholar of religion Friedrich Max Müller (1823–1900) noticed that many Vedic hymns praise different deities using the same superlatives and ascribe to them the same mythological feats.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Avie Lee filled the family's two-room home with music by singing hymns, folk songs and traditional mountain music.
    — Devarrick Turner, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hymns

Browse Nearby Words

vocally
vocals
vocation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vocals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vocals. Accessed 1 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of conscientious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All