Dictionary.com

lilt

[ lilt ]
/ lɪlt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: lilt / lilted / lilting 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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of lilt

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English verb lilte, lulte “to sound an alarm; lift up (one's voice)”; perhaps akin to Dutch, Low German lul “pipe,” lullen “to lull,” Norwegian lilla “to sing,” of imitative origin

OTHER WORDS FROM lilt

lilt·ing·ly, adverblilt·ing·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lilt in a sentence

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
FEEDBACK