lyrical
/ˈlɪr.ɪ.kəl/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Lyrical writing, speech, or music is beautiful, emotional, and strongly expressive. It often sounds like poetry, even when it is not poetry.
- Her letter had a lyrical, warm tone.
- He gave a lyrical speech about home.
- The novel has a lyrical style.
Adinary Nuance
Lyrical is close to poetic, expressive, and emotional, but it often suggests flowing beauty and a song-like quality. Use poetic for language that sounds artistic in a literary way. Use emotional when the feeling is stronger than the style. Use lyrical when the words or music feel graceful, vivid, and beautifully expressive.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- trữ tình
- Spanish
- lírico
- Chinese
- 抒情的
- Japanese
- 叙情的な
- Korean
- 서정적인
Etymology
Lyrical comes from Greek lyra, meaning a lyre, a small musical instrument. In English, it began with poetry and later came to describe beautiful, song-like language.
Common phrases
lyrical proselyrical stylelyrical languagelyrical passage
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is lyrical a positive word?
- Usually, yes. It suggests beauty, emotion, and grace in language or music.
- What is the difference between lyrical and poetic?
- Poetic is broader and more literary. Lyrical often feels more musical and flowing.
- Can I use lyrical for music?
- Yes. It can describe music that sounds smooth, expressive, and song-like.
- Is lyrical common in everyday English?
- It is common in writing, reviews, and formal speech, but less common in casual talk.