lilt

[ lilt ]
/ lɪlt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR lilt ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

rhythmic swing or cadence.
a lilting song or tune.

verb (used with or without object)

to sing or play in a light, tripping, or rhythmic manner.

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Origin of lilt

1300–50; Middle English lulte; perhaps akin to Dutch lul pipe, lullen to lull

OTHER WORDS FROM lilt

lilt·ing·ly, adverblilt·ing·ness, noun

Words nearby lilt

Lilliputian, Lillo, lilly-pilly, Lilo, Lilongwe, lilt, lily, Lilyan, lily family, lily iron, lily-livered
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to lilt

intonation, movement, refrain, tune, air

Example sentences from the Web for lilt

British Dictionary definitions for lilt

lilt
/ (lɪlt) /

noun

(in music) a jaunty rhythm
a buoyant motion

verb (intr)

(of a melody) to have a lilt
to move in a buoyant manner

Derived forms of lilt

lilting, adjective

Word Origin for lilt

C14 lulten, origin obscure
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012