lyric

[ lir-ik ]

/ ˈlɪr ɪk /

adjective Also lyr·i·cal.

(of poetry) having the form and musical quality of a song, and especially the character of a songlike outpouring of the poet's own thoughts and feelings, as distinguished from epic and dramatic poetry.

pertaining to or writing lyric poetry: a lyric poet.

characterized by or expressing spontaneous, direct feeling: a lyric song; lyric writing.

pertaining to, rendered by, or employing singing.

(of a voice) relatively light of volume and modest in range: a lyric soprano.

pertaining, adapted, or sung to the lyre, or composing poems to be sung to the lyre: ancient Greek lyric odes.

noun

a lyric poem.

Often lyrics. the words of a song.

Origin of lyric

1575–85; < Latin lyricus < Greek lyrikós. See lyre, -ic

OTHER WORDS FROM lyric

lyr·i·cal·ly, adverb lyr·i·cal·ness, noun non·lyr·ic, adjective non·lyr·i·cal, adjective

non·lyr·i·cal·ly, adverb non·lyr·i·cal·ness, noun sem·i·lyr·ic, adjective sem·i·lyr·i·cal, adjective sem·i·lyr·i·cal·ly, adverb un·lyr·ic, adjective un·lyr·i·cal, adjective un·lyr·i·cal·ly, adverb un·lyr·i·cal·ness, noun

Words nearby lyric

lyre, lyre back, lyre snake, lyre-form sofa, lyrebird, lyric, lyrical, lyricism, lyricist, lyricize, lyrids

Example sentences from the Web for lyrically

This is Bey and Nicki at their most lyrically masochistic, and boy, is it a treat.

The 14 Best Songs of 2014: Bobby Shmurda, Future Islands, Drake, and More |Marlow Stern |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
By and large, pop, both musically and lyrically, was polite.

Before the Earthquake Hit: When The Beatles Landed in America |Michael Tomasky |January 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He speaks in heavily-accented English, but fluidly and lyrically, with both force and deliberation.

The Politics of Literature: An interview with Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa |Michael Moynihan |October 10, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
What wonder then that she should lyrically apostrophise "The Wink" in laudatory numbers?

Punch, Or The London Charivari, Vol. 101. October 24, 1891 |Various

Once in my life my mania for accuracy involved me lyrically.

Police!!! |Robert W. Chambers
He does not treat them lyrically, following rather the rules of epic and dramatic composition.

Studies of the Greek Poets (Vol II of 2) |John Addington Symonds
"Perhaps I express myself a little too lyrically," he said with an amicable abruptness.

The Ball and The Cross |G.K. Chesterton
After all, she had not broken the old home ties (to put it lyrically) for this sort of thing, now, had she?

Jane Journeys On |Ruth Comfort Mitchell

British Dictionary definitions for lyrically

lyric

/ (ˈlɪrɪk) /

adjective

(of poetry)

expressing the writer's personal feelings and thoughts
having the form and manner of a song

of or relating to such poetry

(of music) having songlike qualities

(of a singing voice) having a light quality and tone

intended for singing, esp (in classical Greece) to the accompaniment of the lyre

noun

a short poem of songlike quality

(plural) the words of a popular song

Also (for senses 1–4): lyrical

Derived forms of lyric

lyrically, adverb lyricalness, noun

Word Origin for lyric

C16: from Latin lyricus, from Greek lurikos, from lura lyre

Cultural definitions for lyrically

lyric

A kind of poetry, generally short, characterized by a musical use of language. Lyric poetry often involves the expression of intense personal emotion. The elegy, the ode, and the sonnet are forms of the lyric poem.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

lyric

adjective Also lyr·i·cal.

noun

Origin of lyric

OTHER WORDS FROM lyric

Words nearby lyric

Example sentences from the Web for lyrically

British Dictionary definitions for lyrically

adjective

noun

Derived forms of lyric

Word Origin for lyric

Cultural definitions for lyrically

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

lyric

adjective Also lyr·i·cal.

noun

Origin of lyric

OTHER WORDS FROM lyric

Words nearby lyric

Example sentences from the Web for lyrically

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for lyrically

adjective

noun

Derived forms of lyric

Word Origin for lyric

Cultural definitions for lyrically

British Dictionary definitions for lyrically