elegiac

adjective

ele·gi·ac ˌe-lə-ˈjī-ək

-ˌak,

also i-ˈlē-jē-ˌak

variants or less commonly elegiacal

ˌe-lə-ˈjī-ə-kəl

Synonyms of elegiac next

: of, relating to, or consisting of two dactylic hexameter lines the second of which lacks the arsis in the third and sixth feet

b(1)

: written in or consisting of elegiac couplets

(2)

: noted for having written poetry in such couplets

: of or relating to the period in Greece about the seventh century b.c. when poetry written in such couplets flourished

: of, relating to, or comprising elegy or an elegy

especially : expressing sorrow often for something now past

an elegiac lament for departed youth

elegiac noun

elegiacally

ˌe-lə-ˈjī-ə-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Did you know?

Elegiac was borrowed into English in the 16th century from Late Latin elagiacus, which in turn derives from Greek elegeiakos. Elegeiakos traces back to the Greek word for "elegiac couplet," which was elegeion. It is no surprise, then, that the earliest meaning of elegiac referred to such poetic couplets. These days, of course, the word is also used to describe anything sorrowful or nostalgic. As you may have guessed, another descendant of elegeion in English is elegy, which in its oldest sense refers to a poem in elegiac couplets, and now can equally refer to a somewhat broader range of laments for something or someone that is now lost.

Examples of elegiac in a Sentence

the sight of an old ruined church or castle can be a pleasantly elegiac experience

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Unforgiven was the elegiac work of an aging icon looking back on a long and varied career; that was 1992. —

Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024 The tone can be rapturous or elegiac, as confounding as the masterful final entries in Low’s own shapeshifting catalog. —

Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 27 Sep. 2024 The film is more elegiac tone poem than structured narrative, echoing Maria's dreamlike trance induced by her abuse of medication and nostalgia for her glory days. —

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 3 Sep. 2024 Trending Now Thundercat Breaks Down His Favorite Bass Lines In the Richter tradition, In a Landscape is elegiac and resigned yet quietly triumphant. —

Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for elegiac