Definition of Lyric

1. Noun. The text of a popular song or musical-comedy number. "The song uses colloquial language"

Exact synonyms: Language, Words
Generic synonyms: Text, Textual Matter
Group relationships: Song, Vocal
Specialized synonyms: Love Lyric
Derivative terms: Lyricist

2. Verb. Write lyrics for (a song).
Category relationships: Poesy, Poetry, Verse
Generic synonyms: Compose, Indite, Pen, Write
Specialized synonyms: Relyric

3. Adjective. Expressing deep emotion. "The dancer's lyrical performance"
Exact synonyms: Lyrical
Similar to: Emotional

4. Noun. A short poem of songlike quality.
Exact synonyms: Lyric Poem
Generic synonyms: Poem, Verse Form
Specialized synonyms: Ode
Terms within: Strophe, Antistrophe

5. Adjective. Used of a singer or singing voice that is light in volume and modest in range. "A lyric soprano"
Category relationships: Music
Antonyms: Dramatic

6. Adjective. Relating to or being musical drama. "The lyric stage"
Category relationships: Music
Partainyms: Opera

7. Adjective. Of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way). "Lyric poetry"
Category relationships: Poesy, Poetry, Verse

Definition of Lyric

1. a. Of or pertaining to a lyre or harp.

2. n. A lyric poem; a lyrical composition.

Definition of Lyric

1. Adjective. (poetry) Of, or relating to a type of poetry (such as a sonnet or ode) that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings, often in a songlike style ¹

2. Adjective. Of, or relating to a writer of such poetry ¹

3. Adjective. lyrical ¹

4. Adjective. Having a light singing voice of modest range ¹

5. Adjective. Of, or relating to musical drama and opera ¹

6. Adjective. melodious ¹

7. Adjective. Of, or relating to the lyre (or sometimes the harp) ¹

8. Noun. A lyric poem. ¹

9. Noun. (context: also in plural) The words of a song or other vocal music. The singular form often refers to a part of the words, whereas the plural form can refer to all of the words. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Lyric

1. a lyrical poem [n -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Lyric

lyra uterina
lyraid
lyrate
lyrate leaf
lyrated
lyrately
lyre
lyre-flower
lyre bird
lyre snake
lyrebird
lyrebirds
lyreflower
lyrelike
lyres
lyric (current term)
lyric opera
lyric poem
lyrical
lyricality
lyrically
lyricalness
lyricalnesses
lyricise
lyricised
lyricises
lyricising
lyricism
lyricisms
lyricist

Literary usage of Lyric

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1919)
"lyric POETRY. The origins of lyric poetry are merged with those of narrative, because of the primitive conditions under which the distinction between these ..."

2. The Growth and Influence of Classical Greek Poetry: Lectures Delivered in by Richard Claverhouse Jebb (1894)
"Greeks of the fifth century B. c. called lyric poems melé (jU. ... But there is no objection to describing them as "lyric," if only it be remembered that ..."

3. Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Standard Work of Reference in Art, Literature (1907)
"Now beauty of this kind does not go to the making of the Great lyric. But, although we could hardly expect to find it The great among those whose language, ..."

4. A Handbook of Poetics, for Students of English Verse by Francis Barton Gummere (1913)
"Quite the contrary with the lyric : it is subjective, proceeds from one individual; has to do, ... Consequently the test of a good lyric poem is sincerity. ..."

5. Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern by Charles Dudley Warner, Hamilton Wright Mabie, Lucia Isabella Gilbert Runkle, George H Warner (1902)
"In the sphere of lyric poetry Greece was no less great; but of the ancient lyric writers the modern world is for certain reasons comparatively ignorant. ..."

6. English Literature During the Lifetime of Shakespeare by Felix Emmanuel Schelling (1910)
"Spenser never wrote a lyric for its own sake. Nor did Sidney nor Shakespeare, very often, for that matter. All Spenser's lyrics are incidental, ..."

7. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General by Thomas Spencer Baynes (1888)
"They stand between the Ionian epos and the lyric poetry of the . ... The lyric poetry of early Greece may be regarded as the final form of that effort at ..."

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