lyrical

/ˈlɪrɪkl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɪrɪkl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlir-i-kəl/ (ame, mw)

lyrical — adjective

  • lyricalpositive
  • more lyricalcomparative
  • most lyricalsuperlative

1. having a flowing, song-like beauty that lets the artist's personal feelings or i

1.形容詞C1
釋義

having a flowing, song-like beauty that lets the artist's personal feelings or imagination come through clearly — often said of poems, music, paintings, or descriptive writing.

例句

Ada's first novel opens with a lyrical description of the misty hills around her grandmother's village.

lyrical + description / passage (writing about scenery or feeling)

The composer is known for slow, lyrical melodies that bring many listeners to tears.

lyrical + melody / piece / movement (music with a singing, emotional quality)

同義詞
  • poetic

    near-synonym; emphasises rhythm and imagery

  • expressive

    broader; covers any feeling on display, not only beautiful

  • song-like

    music context specifically; flowing, vocal melody

反義詞

文法句型

lyrical + noun

be + lyrical

用法筆記

Frequently attributive before nouns of art, sound, or writing (poem, ballad, prose, passage, melody). Distinguish from sense 2 by syntax: sense 1 is rarely used with 'wax' and almost never with 'about [topic]'.

常見錯誤

❌Eleni was lyrical at the concert.
✅The music at the concert was lyrical.
💡Sense 1 describes the artwork or its style, not the person enjoying it.

2. showing your enthusiasm or admiration for something by talking about it at lengt

2.形容詞C2
釋義

showing your enthusiasm or admiration for something by talking about it at length and with strong feeling — almost always in the fixed pattern 'wax lyrical (about/over) …'.

例句

Yara waxed lyrical about the tiny bakery she had discovered near her hotel in Lisbon.

wax lyrical about + thing the speaker loves

Don't get Paul started on his vintage motorbike — he'll wax lyrical for hours.

wax lyrical for + length of time (humorous: speaker overdoes it)

同義詞
  • rhapsodic

    very formal; same idea of over-the-top praise

  • effusive

    general; gushing with feelings of any kind, not only about a topic

  • rapturous

    very strong; close to ecstatic

反義詞

文法句型

wax lyrical (about / over) something

get lyrical about something

用法筆記

Almost always appears with the verb 'wax' (or sometimes 'get') — the bare adjective in this sense is rare. Often carries a mild teasing tone: the speaker is hinting the praise is a bit much.

常見錯誤

❌Ryo is very lyrical about football.
✅Ryo waxes lyrical about football.
💡In this enthusiasm sense, the fixed verb 'wax' is needed; bare 'be lyrical about' sounds wrong to native speakers.