lyric
2 synonyms and 0 antonyms for lyric, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Relating to poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical, song-like style.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Etymology
From Latin lyricus, from Greek lurikos, "of the lyre" — originally describing poetry meant to be sung to lyre accompaniment.
Full origin of lyric →Frequently asked questions
What does “lyric” mean?
The word “lyric” means relating to poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical, song-like style. In plain terms, describes personal, emotional poetry, or refers to the words of a song.
How do you pronounce “lyric”?
“Lyric” is pronounced LIH-rihk (/ˈlɪɹɪk/ in IPA).
How do you use “lyric” in a sentence?
Here is “lyric” used in a sentence: “Keats is celebrated for his lyric poetry exploring beauty and mortality.”
What part of speech is “lyric”?
Depending on how it is used, “lyric” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “lyric” come from?
The word “lyric” comes from Latin. From Latin lyricus, from Greek lurikos, "of the lyre" — originally describing poetry meant to be sung to lyre accompaniment.
Is “lyric” a common word?
“Lyric” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “lyric” have?
“Lyric” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical, song-like style.
What is the difference between "lyric" and "lyrics"?
"Lyric" as an adjective describes poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings in a musical, song-like style, while "lyrics" (plural) typically refers to the actual words of a song. "Lyric" can also be a singular noun for one line or piece of song text, but "lyrics" is the more common term for a song's full text.
What makes a poem "lyric" rather than narrative?
A lyric poem expresses personal thoughts and feelings in a musical, song-like style, focusing on emotion and expression, whereas a narrative poem is centered on telling a story with characters and events.
Is "lyric" used only for poetry, or can it describe song writing too?
"Lyric" describes both a style of poetry focused on personal feeling and, as a noun, the words of a song, so the term spans both traditional poetry and songwriting.