as in accent
the attractive quality of speech or music that rises and falls in a pleasing pattern
There was a charming lilt to her voice. a tune with a lilt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of lilt
Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 17 Oct. 2024
The rhymed verse the characters speak in doesn’t at all hinder them from expressing themselves colloquially, in idioms that sound better with a languorous Southern lilt.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2024
Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Sauvé is extremely soft-spoken, her slight Quebecois accent lilting over the crowd’s hush.
—Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lilt 
Noun
There are other ways to spot deepfakes, though, like asking a person on a livestream to turn sideways or listening for an off-sounding lilt in someone's voice.
—Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 17 Oct. 2024
The rhymed verse the characters speak in doesn’t at all hinder them from expressing themselves colloquially, in idioms that sound better with a languorous Southern lilt.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2024
Verb
Their small sounds and snuffles were barely audible above the lilting bleeps of incubators in the neonatal ward.
—Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Sauvé is extremely soft-spoken, her slight Quebecois accent lilting over the crowd’s hush.
—Cameron Cook, Pitchfork, 7 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lilt
Noun
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Black Panther saw its characters speak Xhosa, a South African language, in such an accent (which, in and of itself, was a battle with the franchise’s studio).Kui Mwai, Essence, 20 Dec. 2024
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Like a shoddy police procedural with an easily-recognizable bad guy—the unshaven one with the heavy accent—the Christmas story has one villain in particular.N.T. Wright, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Her solitude is broken when two fellow students rush up, crooning her name in unison.Sara Netzley, EW.com, 30 Dec. 2024
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Michael Bublé’s perennial favorite Christmas wasn’t far behind, soaring from No. 9 to No. 2 as Australians embrace his crooning holiday classics.Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The natural fit between Brown and Carpenter is a testament to the art of great casting, and Deb’s memorable cadence and energy seems innate to both actresses.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2024
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Open with a softer cadence when discussing concerns (warmth) and shift to a confident, steady tone when presenting solutions (competence).Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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To lend the appearance of vitality, junk cars driven by mannequins populated the parking lot to the backdrop of warbling holiday tapes played on low-fidelity loudspeakers.Douglas C. Towne, The Arizona Republic, 18 Dec. 2024
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Phoenix, who doesn’t seem accustomed to singing, much less very interested in it, is forced to warble his way through song numbers while Gaga refuses to lay down a dichotomy between what’s real versus fantasy concerning her character’s musical talents.Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Pearl Jam was founded in Seattle in 1990 and still consists of original members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), as well as Matt Cameron (drums), who joined in 1998.Melonee Hurt, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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Missing players through suspension can contribute to the fine margins which decide games and can upset the rhythm.Eduardo Tansley, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The former president's endorsement process has evolved from haphazard to sharp and effective, rendering all other endorsements all but obsolete.Kaleigh Rogers, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2024
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That included everything from off-center parts at Simone Rocha to sharp, contrasting textures at KNWLS.India Espy-Jones, Essence, 21 Sep. 2023
Verb
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The room seemed to hum with the cacophony of love stories converging in one place.Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Dec. 2024
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The stage was right in front of the chamfered corner of the Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona, a reminder that one of the city’s most historic and celebrated hotels continues to hum as ever before.John Oseid, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Any minute now, the mockingbird will trill at me to go to bed.Edan Lepucki, The Atlantic, 12 July 2024
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At dawn, cooing doves and trilling Eurasian blackbirds woke me.Nina Burleigh, New York Times, 21 May 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near lilt
Cite this Entry
“Lilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lilt. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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