lyric

SayLIR-ik/ˈlɪɹɪk/

Plurallyrics

9 meanings of lyric

1
nouncountable
The words that someone sings in a song or other music.
Like the written words you sing along to when a song plays.
He scribbled a new lyric on the back of a napkin during rehearsal.
The lyrics to that old ballad are all about lost love.
Similarwords
Note
2
adjective
Describing poetry that shares a person's own thoughts and feelings in a songlike way.
Like a short song that says how you feel inside, but written as a poem.
She wrote lyric poems about her childhood by the sea.
The class read lyric verse that described love and loss.
Oppositeepic, narrative
Note
3
nouncountable
A short poem that shares personal feelings, often like a song.
Like a tiny song written down on the page as a poem.
The collection opens with a lyric about a cold winter morning.
His early lyrics celebrate quiet days in the countryside.
Similarpoem, song, verse
4
adjective
Sounding sweet and pleasant to hear, like a flowing tune.
Like a sound that flows as smoothly as a sweet tune.
The violinist's lyric phrasing made the slow movement unforgettable.
Critics praised the singer's warm, lyric tone.
Similarmelodic, melodious, tuneful, mellifluous, lilting
Oppositeharsh, discordant, strident
5
adjective
Relating to a poet who writes poems that share personal feelings.
Keats is studied as one of England's great lyric poets.
The festival honored a lyric poet whose work explores grief.
6
adjective
Full of feeling and written in a poetic, flowing way.
The novel's lyric passages describe the marsh in loving detail.
She gave a lyric account of her travels through the mountains.
Similarpoetic, expressive, rhapsodic
Oppositeprosaic, dry
Note
7
adjective
Relating to opera and plays that are set to music.
She built her career on the lyric stage in Milan.
The company stages lyric works alongside its spoken plays.
Similaroperatic
8
adjective
Describing a light singing voice that has a small range.
She has a lyric soprano that suits the gentle Mozart aria.
The young tenor's lyric voice carried easily through the small hall.
Oppositedramatic
9
adjective
Relating to the lyre, an old stringed instrument like a small harp.
The festival featured lyric accompaniment played on a reconstructed lyre.
Ancient singers shaped their verses for lyric performance on the strings.

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Greek 'lura', meaning 'lyre' (a stringed instrument). Lyric poetry first meant poetry sung to the lyre, and later 'lyrics' came to mean the words of a song.