lyrics
lyrics Lexical Profile
lyrics Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The words of a popular song or other musical composition, as distinct from the melody or instrumental accompaniment.
"She memorized all the lyrics to her favorite album during the long road trip."
Short poems that express personal emotions or thoughts dynamically, often in a songlike style.
"The anthology features a collection of romantic lyrics written during the nineteenth century."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the words of a song as a whole, the plural form "lyrics" is overwhelmingly preferred in everyday English, whereas the singular "lyric" typically refers either to a single line of a song or to a short poem.
• Rhymes for lyrics
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived via French and Latin from the Ancient Greek "lyrikos" (singing to the lyre), from "lyra" (lyre), the stringed instrument traditionally used to accompany poetry and song in antiquity.