lyrical
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that's lyrical is beautifully full of emotion. Don't be surprised if a lyrical passage in the book you're reading makes you cry a little bit. The word lyric, and its connection to the words of a song, provides one hint about the adjective lyrical, which can mean "appropriate for singing." When a movie, book, dance, or work of art gives you the same feeling as the most beautiful music, you can also describe those things as lyrical. The musical connection goes all the way back to the Greek root word, lyra, or lyre.
Vocabulary lists containing lyrical
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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Poetry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sticking with the lyrical looks at nature, “Time and Water” is a gorgeously shot, meditative and mournful reflection on both the climate crisis and one man’s family.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
On an album packed with sonic and lyrical detail, every gesture here is considered and nothing is wasted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
With Blur, Orbit produced the 1999 album 13, which saw the Britpop band take a darker lyrical turn, providing hit singles such as Tender, Coffee & TV and No Distance Left To Run.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Scott is a 10-time Grammy nominee whose ability to combine spectacle with his lyrical craft has gained him a significantly passionate following.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
As for her, beyond all the films she had seen, and all the novels and lyrical poems she had read, she had no experience at all.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
