musically

IPA/ˈmjuːzɪkli/
KK[mjˈuzɪkli]IPA/ˈmjuːzɪkli/

musically — adverb

1. Concerning a person’s ability, study, or involvement in music — for example, bei

1.adverbB1
Definition

Concerning a person’s ability, study, or involvement in music — for example, being musically talented, trained, or inclined toward musical activities.

Example

Sivan has always been musically gifted and can play three instruments.

musically gifted — adverb + adjective pattern

Amira trained musically at the Vienna Conservatory for several years.

train musically — verb modified by adverb

Common collocations
  • musically gifted
  • musically talented
  • musically inclined
  • musically trained
  • musically focused
  • musically oriented
Synonyms
  • melodically

    narrower focus on melody and tune; 'musically' is broader, covering rhythm, harmony, and overall musicality

  • rhythmically

    focuses specifically on beat and timing, not on music in a general sense

Grammar Patterns

musically + adjective (gifted / talented / inclined)

verb + musically (trained / perform / develop)

Usage Note

Commonly appears before adjectives (musically gifted, musically inclined) or before past participles in passive constructions (musically trained, musically oriented).

Common Mistakes

She is a musically person.
She is a musical person.
'Musical' is the adjective; 'musically' is only an adverb, so it cannot modify a noun directly.
He plays the piano musically.
He plays the piano with great skill.
Using 'musically' with playing an instrument is usually redundant, since playing an instrument is already a musical activity.

2. Producing sounds with a pleasant, tuneful quality similar to music — for example

2.adverbB2
Definition

Producing sounds with a pleasant, tuneful quality similar to music — for example, a speaking voice that rises and falls melodically, or a bell that rings with a clear, gentle tone.

Example

Hamza has a musically rich voice that soothes everyone in the room.

musically rich — describes voice quality

Sayaka listened as the wind chimes rang musically in the summer breeze.

rang musically — verb + adverb pattern for pleasant sound

Common collocations
  • voice musically rich
  • ring musically
  • chime musically
  • speak musically
  • laugh musically
Synonyms
  • melodiously

    more formal and specific to singing or instrumental tunes; 'musically' is broader and sounds more natural in everyday speech

  • tunefully

    emphasises having a pleasant tune; slightly less common than 'musically' in this sense

Antonyms
  • discordantly

    suggests harsh, clashing sounds rather than pleasant ones

  • unmusically

    direct opposite — sounds that lack musical quality

Grammar Patterns

verb (speak / sing / ring / chime / laugh) + musically

Usage Note

Often used with verbs that describe sound production (ring, chime, speak, laugh). Birdsong, human voices, and well-tuned mechanical objects (bells, clocks) are typical subjects.

Common Mistakes

The soup tastes musically.
The soup tastes good.
'Musically' only describes sound, not taste, smell, or visual qualities.
Musically, the sunset was beautiful.
The sunset was visually beautiful.
'Musically' refers to sound or music-related matters, not visual beauty.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

While all four words relate to music, they highlight different aspects. 'Musically' is the most general: it covers any connection to music — skill, training, or appreciation. 'Melodically' narrows the focus to the tune or melody of a piece; you would say 'the song is melodically simple' but not 'she is melodically gifted' to describe overall talent. 'Rhythmically' concerns beat, tempo, and timing: 'rhythmically complex jazz' emphasises shifting time signatures, not the melody or harmony. 'Harmonically' refers to chords and the combination of notes sounding together — a term more common in music theory than everyday speech. For describing a person's general musical ability, 'musically gifted' is the natural choice; for describing a passage of music, one of the narrower terms fits better.

musically ↗melodicallyrhythmicallyharmonically

Common collocations

Phrases

  • musically speaking
  • musically inclined

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Formed by adding the adverb-forming suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'musical', which itself comes from Latin 'musicalis' (relating to music), derived from 'musica' (music). 'Musica' traces back to Greek 'mousikē' (the art of the Muses), from 'Mousa' (Muse). The word entered English through Old French 'musical' in the 15th century, and 'musically' as an adverb was in use by the early 1600s.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun