English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

adj A2 Elementary Uncommon

lyric

LIH-rihk

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Lyric (adj) means relating to poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical, song-like style. Example: “Keats is celebrated for his lyric poetry exploring beauty and mortality.”

adj

1

Relating to poetry that expresses personal thoughts and feelings, often in a musical, song-like style.

"Keats is celebrated for his lyric poetry exploring beauty and mortality."

noun

1

The words of a song.

"The lyric in line 3 doesn't rhyme."

"The lyrics were written by the composer."

"She wrote the lyric for the chorus in under ten minutes."

"I can't remember the next lyric, but I know the tune perfectly."

"The singer changed one lyric in the last verse to make it funnier."

How to use lyric

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes personal, emotional poetry, or refers to the words of a song.

Common mistake

In everyday use, "lyrics" (plural) is far more common than the singular "lyric" for song words; "lyric" alone is more often used as an adjective or in poetry contexts.

Easily confused with

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

Plural: lyrics
Comparative: more lyric
Superlative: most lyric

Test yourself on “lyric” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Keats is celebrated for his _____ poetry exploring beauty and mortality.

Etymology

From Latin lyricus, from Greek lurikos, "of the lyre" — originally describing poetry meant to be sung to lyre accompaniment.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

verse words lyrical language

Antonyms

dramatic

Related words

words language text moving speech row musical exciting

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.

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