a short metrical composition intended or adapted for singing, especially one in rhymed stanzas; a lyric; a ballad.
a musical piece adapted for singing or simulating a piece to be sung.
Mendelssohn's “Songs without Words.”
poetical composition; poetry.
the art or act of singing; vocal music.
something that is sung.
an elaborate vocal signal produced by an animal, as the distinctive sounds produced by certain birds, frogs, etc., in a courtship or territorial display.
a dynasty in China, a.d. 960–1279, characterized by a high level of achievement in painting, ceramics, and philosophy: overthrown by the Mongols. Also Sung
Ailing Ai-ling Soong.
Qingling Ching-ling Soong.
Meiling Mei-ling Soong.
Ziwen Tse-ven Soong.
a piece of music, usually employing a verbal text, composed for the voice, esp one intended for performance by a soloist
the whole repertory of such pieces
( as modifier )
a song book
poetical composition; poetry
the characteristic tuneful call or sound made by certain birds or insects
the act or process of singing
they raised their voices in song
at a bargain price
informal performing at peak efficiency or ability
First recorded before 900; Middle English song, sang, Old English; cognate with German Sang, Old Norse sǫngr, Gothic saggws
Feeling happy? Feeling sad? Sing a song! A song is poetry set to music, and there’s a song for every occasion, from “Happy Birthday” to “Here Comes the Bride.” Tra la la! Most songs have words, or lyrics, though not all of them do — and we call the musical sound a bird makes a song as well. Sometimes rhyming poems are called songs, like Pablo Neruda's "April Rain Song." If your friend tells you she bought her bicycle "for a song," that simply means it was inexpensive, not that she actually had to sing a song to get it.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clips from the film, such as Matt Damon's Odysseus tied to the mast of his ship while listening to the sirens' song, have quickly become fodder for social media memes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
Cooper also cited Drakeo’s 2021 song “IngleWeird,” interviews and music released by artists associated with the two camps as evidence of an escalating dispute.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Bridgers also provided guest vocals on Silk Chiffon, a freewheeling sapphic love song that became Muna's breakthrough single.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Yeah is the most demo-like song on a 29-minute album that occasionally feels under-cooked.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The haunting, discordant song was getting louder, mingled with the crack and snap of footsteps.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The Bank of Korea will hold its rate-setting meeting on Thursday after Gov. Shin Hyun Song repeatedly signaled the need for tighter policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Amid the process of creating her 16th album, “Rocks and Honey,” Tyler joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 to represent the United Kingdom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Dara won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with her song Bangarang!
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Seven countries took part in the first Eurovision Song Contest in Lugano in 1956.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
For example, listen to the phrases in the melody of "The Riddle Song" and see how they line up with the four sentences in the song.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
Langley is even converting fans who don’t usually listen to her genre—she recently became the first woman in history to land three country songs in the Hot 100’s top four spots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Life slows down in August, which means space to catch up on the shows, movies, songs, books and podcast episodes you might have missed earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Carney’s unique tenor ranges from Jeff Buckley to Freddie Mercury; his rock background and skill with the guitar is required for Orpheus’ lyre-playing and lends to the folk roots of Mitchell’s songs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Silly and bratty as the songs can sometimes be, they’re also beautiful, fun and worth a serious listen.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
They would sit around in the bushes and sing so happy and loud that the mountains would ring with their birdie songs.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
