lilt

IPA/lɪlt/

KK[lˈɪlt]IPA/lɪlt/

1.名詞C1

釋義

the gentle, musical quality of someone's speech when their voice naturally rises and falls as they talk

例句

Otis spoke with a soft Irish lilt that made even everyday stories sound musical.

collocation: 'Irish lilt', 'soft lilt'

The fisherman told his tale with a gentle lilt that reminded Hana of the sea.

同義詞

cadence
focuses on the rhythmic rise and fall of the voice without the 'pleasant' connotation
intonation
broader term for pitch changes in speech; less specific to a cheerful quality
inflection
refers to any change in pitch, not necessarily gentle or musical

反義詞

monotone
a flat, unchanging voice with no rise or fall
drone
a continuous, boring low sound without variation

文法句型

lilt + adjective (musical/gentle/soft/Irish)

用法筆記

Typically describes an accent or speaking style that sounds pleasant and musical; common with regional accents such as Irish, Welsh, or Caribbean.

常見錯誤

❌She spoke with a lilt.

✅She spoke with a musical lilt.

💡'lilt' alone sounds incomplete; use a modifier like 'soft', 'gentle', or 'musical' to clarify the quality.

❌His voice had a lilt' (meaning a loud or dramatic change).

✅His voice had a natural lilt that made his stories enjoyable to hear.

💡a lilt is gentle and pleasant, not extreme or theatrical.

2.名詞C1

釋義

a regular, cheerful pattern of sound or beat in a piece of music that has a bouncy, flowing quality

例句

The song had a cheerful lilt that made children want to clap and dance along.

collocation: 'cheerful lilt', 'gentle lilt'

Matthew tapped his foot to the lilt of the jazz piano playing in the café.

prepositional: 'to the lilt of'

同義詞

rhythm
a broader, more general term for any repeated sound pattern
beat
emphasises the main accent in music; less specific to a bouncy quality
swing
a lively, relaxed rhythm; closer in feel but more associated with jazz

文法句型

to the lilt of + noun

lilt + adjective (cheerful/gentle/jaunty)

用法筆記

Describes a bouncy, cheerful rhythm rather than a heavy, slow, or dramatic one. Common in descriptions of folk music, waltzes, and jazz with a swing feel.

常見錯誤

❌The song had a lilt' (without any context).

✅The song had a cheerful lilt that made everyone tap their feet.

💡the adjective helps convey the musical quality.

❌The heavy metal song had a powerful lilt.

✅The folk tune had a gentle lilt.

💡a lilt is light and cheerful, not heavy or aggressive.

liltpresent simple I / you / we / they
lilts3rd person singular
lilting-ing form
liltedpast simple

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1

釋義

to perform a song or tune in a cheerful, lively manner, with a light, flowing rhythm

例句

Andrew lilted a folk tune on his flute as he walked through the market square.

transitive: lilt + direct object (a tune/song)

Isabela lilted a cheerful melody while she worked in the sunlit garden.

同義詞

warble
suggests a bird-like, trilling quality; more delicate than lilt
carol
implies joyful singing, often associated with Christmas songs

文法句型

lilt + direct object (a tune/song/melody)

lilt (no object)

用法筆記

Usually transitive, with a song, tune, or melody as the direct object. Intransitive use ('She was lilting softly') is possible but rare.

常見錯誤

❌She lilted loudly at the concert.

✅She lilted a gentle folk song at the concert.

💡'lilt' implies a cheerful, light quality; 'loudly' contradicts this.

❌He lilted the speech to the audience.

✅He lilted a traditional tune on his guitar.

💡'lilt' as a verb is for singing or playing music, not for ordinary speech.

2.動詞及物 / 不及物C2

釋義

to speak with a voice that rises and falls in a natural, musical rhythm — for example, when telling a story or reciting poetry

例句

Grandma lilted her bedtime stories, making the words rise and fall like a gentle song.

transitive: lilt + direct object (story)

The poet lilted the verses in a way that brought the old words to life.

同義詞

intone
suggests a more monotone or solemn delivery; less cheerful than lilt
chant
implies repetition and a more pronounced, formal rhythm

反義詞

drone
to speak in a boring, flat voice with no variation in pitch

文法句型

lilt + direct object (words/story/poem)

lilt (no object)

用法筆記

Less common than the noun form. Typically describes storytelling, poetry reading, or prayer recitation where the speaker's voice takes on a song-like quality.

常見錯誤

❌She lilted the instructions to the team.

✅She lilted the ancient poem during the ceremony.

💡this sense is for lyric or rhythmic speech, not everyday giving of information.

❌He lilted in a loud voice.

✅He lilted the verses in a gentle, flowing rhythm.

💡the manner of lilting is gentle and musical, not forceful.

3.動詞不及物C2

釋義

to walk or move with light, springy steps in a way that looks lively and joyful

例句

The young girl lilted across the meadow, her dress flying behind her.

intransitive + direction: lilt across/down/along

The children lilted down the path, their steps light and full of joy.

同義詞

skip
more common and bouncier; each foot leaves the ground more deliberately
bounce
emphasises up-and-down movement; less about flowing forward motion
prance
suggests proud, showy steps; more self-conscious than lilt

反義詞

lumber
to move in a slow, heavy, awkward way
trudge
to walk slowly with heavy steps, as if tired or reluctant

文法句型

lilt + direction phrase (across/down/along/through)

用法筆記

The least common sense of 'lilt'. It describes a light, elastic way of moving — more energetic than a walk but less forceful than a skip. Direction phrases (across, down, through) are typical.

常見錯誤

❌He lilted in the room.

✅He lilted across the sunny courtyard.

💡this sense needs a direction or path to make the movement clear.

❌The tired hiker lilted up the mountain.

✅The child lilted along the garden path.

💡lilting is light and joyful; it does not fit situations of effort or tiredness.

lilt

lilt — noun

1. the gentle, musical quality of someone's speech when their voice naturally rises

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. a regular, cheerful pattern of sound or beat in a piece of music that has a boun

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

lilt — verb

1. to perform a song or tune in a cheerful, lively manner, with a light, flowing rh

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

2. to speak with a voice that rises and falls in a natural, musical rhythm — for ex

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤

3. to walk or move with light, springy steps in a way that looks lively and joyful

文法句型

用法筆記

常見錯誤