lyric

Meanings

Plural: lyrics

Noun

the text of a popular song or musical-comedy number
- "his compositions always started with the lyrics"
a short poem of songlike quality
A lyric poem.
The words of a song or other vocal music.

Verb

write lyrics for (a song)

Adjective Satellite

expressing deep emotion
- "the dancer's lyrical performance"

Adjective

used of a singer or singing voice that is light in volume and modest in range
- "a lyric soprano"
relating to or being musical drama
- "the lyric stage"
of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way)
- "lyric poetry"

Adj

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.
Of or relating to a writer of such poetry.
Lyrical.
Having a light singing voice of modest range.
Of or relating to musical drama and opera.
Melodious.
Of or relating to the lyre (or sometimes the harp).

Origin / 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.

Synonyms

language, lyric poem, lyrical, songword, words

Antonyms

dramatic

Scrabble Score: 10

lyric is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
lyric is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lyric is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

lyric is a valid Words With Friends word