lyricist

American  

[lir-uh-sist] / ˈlɪr ə sɪst /

noun

1. a person who writes the lyrics for songs.

2. a lyric poet.

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lyricist British  

/ ˈlɪrɪsɪst /

noun

1. a person who writes the words for a song, opera, or musical play

2. Also called: lyrist. a lyric poet

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Etymology

Origin of lyricist

First recorded in 1880–85; lyric + -ist

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Explanation

A lyricist is an artist who writes the words to songs. While Leonard Bernstein composed the music for West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim was the lyricist. A song's words are lyrics, and the person who writes them is a lyricist. Originally, these terms described a kind of musical poetry and the poet who specialized in the form: the Greek root lyrikos means "singing to the lyre." Today, lyricists write the words that a vocalist will sing. Sometimes they write the music too, though lyricists often collaborate with composers to create a song.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lyricist

The 83-year-old confessional lyricist said in a statement that she had "been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease" and that she had also been treated for skin cancer.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

The dramatic track, penned by Meat Loaf's lyricist Jim Steinman, was originally titled Vampires in Love, as it had been written for a musical version of Nosferatu.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

In 1939, composer Earl Robinson and lyricist John La Touche wrote the ambitious “Ballad for Americans,” an extended, oratorio-like work famously performed by both Paul Robeson and Bing Crosby.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

“If you think you’re the best lyricist, you must be using the Wu-Tang sword, and so we’re the Wu-Tang Clan. We felt we were the best lyricists in hip-hop.”

From Salon ● May 31, 2026

You might well be the lyricist of an all-time hit.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

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Related Words

• composer
• musician
• poet
• songwriter

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