dirge

as in lament
a composition expressing one's grief over a loss bagpipes played a haunting dirge at the funeral for the fallen leader

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dirge On the final night, one of the regulars hired a Scotsman in a kilt to play a bagpipe dirge. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Ethel Cain: Perverts [Daughters of Cain] Ethel Cain found unlikely pop fandom with Preacher’s Daughter, her 2022 debut album, thanks to its emotional dirges and heavy lyrics. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Jan. 2025 The hand drums, played here by Keith, make this one spooky dirge. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2024 Following long minutes of silence, a dirge of bagpipes began streaming from the church, suddenly growing loud as 10 pipers emerged with a corps of drummers behind, playing on as pallbearers rolled the casket out. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for dirge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirge
Noun
  • Prominent among these are baseless critiques of the NAEP itself (lauded as the gold standard of achievement measures) and a lament that the science of reading — recently endorsed by more than 40 states — has failed.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
  • In classical terms, this begins as an Adagio in D minor — a slow lament led by a solo cello, that accelerates into a chaotic swell of strings.
    Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Eephus is an elegy, but with just the barest hint of sentimentality—a shrugging send-off that simultaneously cares deeply about America’s pastime.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Lachlan Murdoch delivered a brief elegy this morning for shuttered sports streaming joint venture Venu but said Fox is moving ahead with plans to launch a new direct-to-consumer service drawing on all its content and brands by the end of the calendar year.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Whether a requiem is due for rom-coms or not, in the meantime there's at least a conveyor belt of cringe to feast upon.
    Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The funeral procession begins with a sorrowful requiem but transitions into a celebration of life — reminding us that life extends beyond death, that grief is not the absence of love but an extension of it.
    Mathew Holloway, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dirge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirge. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dirge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!