Lyricism
n.joyful, thoughtfulliterary
What it means
An expressive, musical, and emotionally vivid quality in art or language.
Reach for it when praising the flowing beauty of prose, poetry, music, film, or movement
The film's quiet lyricism emerged in long views of ordinary work.
Choose between these
7- playful
informal praise for smooth rhythm is enough
not when Flow lacks lyricism's emotional and imaginative depth.
- warm
a pleasing sequence of tones is the concrete feature
not when Melody is one musical element and not the broader quality of lyricism.
- professional
expressiveness
strength and clarity of communicated feeling is the point
not when Expressiveness can be raw, jagged, or nonmusical.
- professional
rhythm, tone, and pleasing sound are central
not when Musicality may be technical and emotionally neutral.
- formal
powerful graceful language persuades or moves
not when Eloquence can be rhetorical rather than lyrical.
- literary
poeticism
poetic style itself is being discussed critically
not when Poeticism can suggest affected or excessive poetic language.
- literary
poetry
imaginative beauty matters more than literal verse form
not when Poetry can name the genre and need not describe musical expression.
Said against
3- prosaicness
- harshness
- flatness
It naturally appears in
3- quiet lyricism
Quiet lyricism kept the memoir tender without becoming sentimental.
- visual lyricism
Visual lyricism linked the film's landscapes and faces.
- sense of lyricism
The repeated refrain gave the speech a sense of lyricism.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun, single sense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.