lilt
lilt
Definition
lilt (lilt)
transitive verb, intransitive verb
to sing, speak, play, or move with a light, graceful rhythm or swing
Etymology: ME lilten, lulten, prob. of echoic orig.
noun
- a merry song or tune with a light, swingy, and graceful rhythm
- a light and graceful rhythm or movement
lilt′·ing adjective
lilt′·ingly adverb
lilt
Usage Examples
Object
- melody: Clusters of cracked connections disperse around a lilting stuck groove melody which slips out of focus.
- rhythm: The first two stanzas are sung, by the male and female voices respectively, in a tight canonic interplay of lilting Scottish rhythms.
- vocal: Getting us in more of a spin than the Falkirk wheel, her gentle songs and lilting, high-pitched vocals are always a treat.
- tune: Singers and Musicians are playing lilting happy tunes to make you smile as you imagine the long hot summer ahead.
- tone: Cant wait to hear the lilting tones of your Black Country accent on the National News.
- guitar: We have beautiful lilting guitar in the quieter sections, rock guitar in the ' chorus ' parts.
Converse of object
- have: His voice has a pleasing lilt merging tightly with a resonant guitar.
- hear: However, when we visited in June we heard only the soft Irish lilt from guests.
Adjective modifier
- Irish: She had a lovely Irish lilt to her voice.
- Welsh: As Jim said with a slight Welsh lilt " Why does he do it?
- Scottish: On hearing a Scottish lilt, I sidle up to the guy.
- musical: I was very taken with the musical lilt, which can be found in many of his poems.
- slight: As Jim said with a slight Welsh lilt " Why does he do it?
- lovely: She had a lovely Irish lilt to her voice.
Modifying Another Word
- gently: Susan Ashworth A gently lilting carol which could be used during Epiphany.
Noun used with modifier
- reggae: Listen to the reggae lilt of the title-track and you'll be convinced that the rhythms of Jamaica also originated in Africa.
Browse dictionary entries near lilt
- Lilongwe
- Lilliputian
- Lilliput
- Lillian
- Lille
- Liliuokalani
- Lilith
- lilied
- lilangeni
- lilac
- lily
- lily-livered
- lily of the valley
- lily pad
- lily-white
- LIM
- Lima
- lima bean
- limacine
- limb
