Canorous
What it means
Pleasantly musical and melodious in sound.
Reach for it when giving rare, elevated praise to a voice, instrument, or natural sound
A canorous flute phrase floated above the low strings.
Words to choose between 5
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| formal | |
| literary |
|
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everyday
Fits when the sound has pleasing musical qualities
Careful Musical may concern skill or structure without praising beauty of tone.
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everyday
Fits when a clear, pleasant tune is easy to follow
Careful Tuneful does not fit speech or a single resonant note.
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formal
Fits when a pleasing sequence of musical notes is central
Careful Melodious is clearer but less distinctive when an elevated literary tone is wanted.
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literary
Fits when the sound flows with smooth sweetness
Careful Mellifluous can imply silky flow where canorous only requires pleasing music.
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literary
sonorous
Fits when the sound is full, deep, and resonant
Careful Sonorous is wrong for a light, sweet sound with little depth.
Opposites 4
- discordant
- harsh
- tuneless
- cacophonous
Common phrases 4
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canorous voice
Her canorous voice carried comfortably to the back row.
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canorous tone
The wooden flute produced a canorous tone at low volume.
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canorous song
A canorous song rose from the reeds before sunrise.
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canorous melody
The canorous melody returned in the final movement.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Canorous is current but rare; melodious is usually clearer in everyday prose.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: w:User:Moulder, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, public domain Updated