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

lyrics plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• lyrics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lyric

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

Explanation

The word lyric claims its emotional place in music and poetry, with the words to a song being called the lyrics, while a lyric poem is one steeped in personal emotions, making it song-like. As with many artistic terms, the word lyric derives from the Greek, specifically from lyrikós, meaning "singing to the lyre," and today’s meanings are also rooted in the idea of music. The lyric poem was first seen in the late 16th Century, while the reference to a song’s words as lyrics appeared in 1876. If every one of your poems starts with the word "I," you might be a lyric poet.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lyric lyrics

For her, every song was a movie and every lyric was a story.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

The Alchemy appeared to reference their post-Super Bowl PDA, with the lyric "Where's the trophy? / He just comes running over to me".

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

The song, a diss track aimed at fellow rapper BIA, includes the lyric “Do she even got a BET award?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

“God Bless America,” written at the end of World War I, was shelved until the canny Berlin unveiled it in 1938 as the storm clouds, as his lyric says, were gathering in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

His lyric, among the most famous in the Nahuatl canon, answers its own question: Not forever on earth; only a little while here.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

If only she could deliver the songs with the conviction of her lyrics, she'd have a classic on her hands.

From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026

Written after Lopez was starstruck by a woman, its first lyrics begin in wondrous marvel: “Tal vez fue tu mirada,” or, “Perhaps it was your gaze.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Indeed, her 1964 signature hit "Downtown", which sold millions and earned her a Grammy award, had no lyrics when she first heard composer Tony Hatch playing it on the piano.

From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026

The lyrics mention muddy water and Natchez, Miss., and he adds wailing fills on the instrument officially known as a harmonica but which in this context is usually called a “harp.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

But when Anat began to sing, it was neither the familiar English lyrics that came out of Anat’s mouth nor even the Hebrew Molly knew she could do, but perfect Yiddish.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny