variants
also elegiacal
as in depressing
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
the sight of an old ruined church or castle can be a pleasantly elegiac experience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elegiac
Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024
Martyr!, the debut novel from poet Kaveh Akbar, is word-drunk and elegiac, an enormous pleasure to read.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Kudos once again to producing artistic director Danny Feldman for reminding us what a live orchestra sounds like in a regional theater and to music director Darryl Archibald for drawing out the score’s elegiac shadows and romantic uplift.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
But somehow, Joseph Kosinski did it, turning the sequel of a cheezy, homoerotic ’80s military action movie/propaganda recruitment tool into a lyrical, elegiac, and moving story of aging and redemption.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elegiac 
Adjective
Scorsese films are rarely elegiac, but Sheeran serves as not just an entry point into the mob but also a way to understand that there are no heroes — or anti-heroes — among this den of thieves.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024
Martyr!, the debut novel from poet Kaveh Akbar, is word-drunk and elegiac, an enormous pleasure to read.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Kudos once again to producing artistic director Danny Feldman for reminding us what a live orchestra sounds like in a regional theater and to music director Darryl Archibald for drawing out the score’s elegiac shadows and romantic uplift.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
But somehow, Joseph Kosinski did it, turning the sequel of a cheezy, homoerotic ’80s military action movie/propaganda recruitment tool into a lyrical, elegiac, and moving story of aging and redemption.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for elegiac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac
Adjective
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Viewership increased, the Afternoon Depression Zone grew less depressing, everyone seemed happier.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
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As well as Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, today is known as Blue Monday – thought to be the most depressing day of the year.—
Alyssa Jaffer,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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However, medication involving the anesthetic, ketamine, has shown promise in recent years for treating these hard-to-resolve depressive symptoms.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 2025
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Zinc deficiency is correlated to depressive symptoms, anxiety-like behaviors, and even higher suicidal ideation risk.—
Amiah Taylor,
Discover Magazine,
25 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Tell, yell, hell, hello, elegy, tottle, otology, geology, theology.—
John McPhee,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
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Worm’s visualization of his collection, then, is an unwitting elegy of species pushed to the brink of existence by human pressures.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The old is dying, the new cannot be born, and a great variety of morbid symptoms has appeared.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
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What Mishima set out to do in his final decade was to devise a cause to die for, a cause that had historical precedents but was still a figment of his richly morbid imagination.—
Ian Buruma,
The New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This lack of resolution taps into the brain’s natural drive for cognitive closure, which according to 2014 study, is the innate desire to resolve ambiguity and make sense of unfinished experiences.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
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This eatery at the summit of Cannon’s tramway offers cafeteria food, grab-and-go options, and, most notably, the highest-elevation beer taps in the state of New Hampshire.—
Sarah Cahalan,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Last Friday, a sullen Antonio Conte appeared in a funereal black hoodie for his weekly press conference.—
James Horncastle,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
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Jon Stewart says Vice President Harris overseeing President-elect Trump’s electoral victory as a tally of states was read on the House floor Monday had a funereal feeling to it.—
Judy Kurtz,
The Hill,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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The hand drums, played here by Keith, make this one spooky dirge.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2024
Adjective
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Also, this is a TikTok of the chillest January 6 get-together.—
Makena Kelly,
WIRED,
9 Jan. 2025
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Yet despite all of his achievements, Jones comes off as supremely chill, undeniably cool, and at his essence, a man who loved his family.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
EW.com,
11 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near elegiac
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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