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.
With some lyrical tweaking by Edgar Barrera — a 29-time Latin Grammy-winning songwriter, who Armenta later befriended — the revamped version, “Bebe Dame,” became an immediate sensation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
“The Blue Trail” is lyrical science fiction that takes place just around the next bend.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
“Traversal” is full of these and similar pronouncements, at once lyrical and vague.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Her brilliant pop songwriting is coupled with a chafing lyrical honesty - teetering on the knife-edge of desperation and defiance - which is what makes her such a compelling artist.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
And Thomas Jefferson’s lyrical rendering of the reasons for the entire revolutionary enterprise emphasized the self-evident character of the principles at stake.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
