lyric

American  

[lir-ik] / ˈlɪr ɪk /

adjective

1. (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.

2. pertaining to or writing lyric poetry.

   a lyric poet.

3. characterized by or expressing spontaneous, direct feeling.

   a lyric song; lyric writing.

4. pertaining to, rendered by, or employing singing.

5. (of a voice) relatively light of volume and modest in range.

   a lyric soprano.

6. pertaining, adapted, or sung to the lyre, or composing poems to be sung to the lyre.

   ancient Greek lyric odes.

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noun

1. a lyric poem.

2. Often lyrics. the words of a song.

lyric British  

/ ˈlɪrɪk /

adjective

1. 1. expressing the writer's personal feelings and thoughts

   2. having the form and manner of a song

2. of or relating to such poetry

3. (of music) having songlike qualities

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

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

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noun

1. a short poem of songlike quality

2. (plural) the words of a popular song

lyric Cultural  

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• lyrically adverb
• lyricalness noun
• nonlyric adjective
• nonlyrical adjective
• nonlyrically adverb
• nonlyricalness noun
• semilyric adjective
• semilyrical adjective
• semilyrically adverb
• unlyric adjective
• unlyrical adjective
• unlyrically adverb
• unlyricalness noun

Etymology

Origin of lyric

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

Example Sentences

Here he actually sings some blues lyrics—the voice is minimal, but he’s entirely convincing.

From The Wall Street Journal

How much of the lyrics were understood by the Vietnamese at the time is up for debate, although the title and upbeat sound may have contributed to its popularity as a new year’s anthem.

From Salon

However, A Firmer Hand - which mixed artful indie rock and synth-pop with open, emotional lyrics regarding Hawk's relationships with various men - marked a step up for the singer, resulting in glowing reviews.

From BBC

“The Man I’m Supposed to Be,” from his Feb. 27 LP “My Days of 58,” leans in the latter direction, with lyrics about living inside his head and losing connection to what matters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet what also interests me about that lyric is how easily we forget it in practice.

From Salon