lyrical
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that's lyrical is beautifully full of emotion. Don't be surprised if a lyrical passage in the book you're reading makes you cry a little bit. The word lyric, and its connection to the words of a song, provides one hint about the adjective lyrical, which can mean "appropriate for singing." When a movie, book, dance, or work of art gives you the same feeling as the most beautiful music, you can also describe those things as lyrical. The musical connection goes all the way back to the Greek root word, lyra, or lyre.
Vocabulary lists containing lyrical
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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Poetry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The music on the new record is vivid in its storytelling and unapologetically emotional, lyrical and expressive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
With Blur, Orbit produced the 1999 album 13, which saw the Britpop band take a darker lyrical turn, providing hit singles such as Tender, Coffee & TV and No Distance Left To Run.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Sri Lankan poet-turned-author Michael Ondaatje’s 1992 novel “The English Patient” is a lyrical, highly detailed exploration of love across the decades and how its sacred qualities overcome time and geography.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
A year later, he decided to redo them with a more lyrical quality, resulting in the band’s breakup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
For only you could grant me these lyrical modes.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
