lyricism

noun

lyr·​i·​cism ˈlir-ə-ˌsi-zəm How to pronounce lyricism (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being lyric : songfulness
The important part of his anthology 100 Modern Poems is the foreign verse, showing the French influence on our symbolism, the Celtic influence (Yeats, Dylan Thomas) on our lyricism.Peter Viereck
2
a
: an intense personal quality expressive of feeling or emotion in an art (such as poetry or music)
… a muse that brought out the lyricism in innumerable writers.Erich Segal
b
: exuberance
[Thomas] Wolfe is the sort of author who inspires lyricism or invective, not judicious interpretationTime
3
: the words of a song : lyrics
witty lyricism
Despite her spitfire raps and devil-may-care persona, Lee's lyricism is surprisingly sensitive, proving the rapper to be wise beyond her years.Gladys Yeo
Renaissance, Beyoncé's seventh album, was a seductive club banger with heady lyricism and deep tributes to the queer community.CT Jones

Examples of lyricism in a Sentence

the lyricism of his paintings
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But even through his theatrics, the earnestness of his lush lyricism managed to shine through. Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025 Kendrick Lamar is preparing to return to the Super Bowl halftime stage, bringing his signature lyricism and stage presence to one of the world's biggest sporting events. Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025 Editors’ Picks The outstanding cast also included the blooming lyricism of the tenor Paul Appleby, the luxuriously cool soprano of Mikaela Bennett and the iridescent countertenor of Chuanyuan Liu as a monk and medium. Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025 Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is taking the field with singer/songwriter SZA for what is sure to be a hype performance featuring Lamar's iconic lyricism and the duo's emotional hip-hop melodies. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lyricism

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lyricism was in 1760

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Cite this Entry

“Lyricism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lyricism. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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