lyric
/ˈlɪɹɪk/ adjective, noun, proper noun
Forms lyrics lyrick
- 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.
- adjective Of or relating to a writer of such poetry.
- adjective Lyrical.
- adjective Having a light singing voice of modest range.
- adjective Of or relating to musical drama and opera.
- adjective Melodious.
- adjective Of or relating to the lyre (or sometimes the harp).
- noun A lyric poem.
- noun (usually in the plural) The words of a song or other vocal music. “The lyric in line 3 doesn't rhyme.”
- proper noun A male given name.
- proper noun A female given name.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From French lyrique, or its source, Latin lyricus, from Ancient Greek λυρικός (lurikós), from λύρα (lúra, “lyre”). Its English equivalent would be lyre + -ic.
The original Greek sense of "lyric poetry"—"poetry accompanied by the lyre" i.e. "words set to music"—eventually led to its use as "lyrics", first attested in Stainer and Barrett's 1876 Dictionary of Musical Terms. Stainer and Barrett used the word as a singular substantive: "Lyric, poetry or blank verse intended to be set to music and sung". By the 1930s, the present use of the plurale tantum "lyrics" had begun; it has been standard since the 1950s for many writers. The singular form "lyric" is still used to mean the complete words to a song by authorities such as Alec Wilder, Robert Gottlieb, and Stephen Sondheim. However, the singular form is also commonly used to refer to a specific line (or phrase) within a song's lyrics.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to a lyre or harp.
- adjective Fitted to be sung to the lyre; hence, also, appropriate for song; --said especially of poetry which expresses the individual emotions of the poet. "Sweet lyric song." Milton.
- noun A lyric poem; a lyrical composition.
- noun A composer of lyric poems. [R.] Addison.
Etymology [L. lyricus, Gr. lyrique. See Lyre.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lyric”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details