ELEGIAC Synonyms: 125 Similar and Opposite Words

elegiac 1 of 2

adjective

ˌe-lə-ˈjī-ək

variants also elegiacal

Definition of elegiac

as in somber

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

elegiac

2 of 2

noun

as in monody

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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 elegiac

Adjective

An elegiac poem by Walt Whitman was published in newspapers around the country in July 1876. — New York Times, 28 June 2026 Despite the elegiac tone, Jill also devotes much of the book to the social side of being first lady. — Erin Vanderhoof, Vanity Fair, 4 June 2026

Noun

There’s also something a little elegiac about it. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elegiac

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac

Adjective

The daughter of a brass tree guest told me that on the last day, her mother pulled her aside and offered a somber warning.

— Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Miller's new ad opens with a somber sequence of close-ups of various people's faces as the congressman talks about how divorce affects families.

— Lara Korte The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of somber

Noun

Her works are playful and often ironic, relentlessly experimental and not only genre-bending but form-bending, including Nox (New Directions, 2010), a box containing an accordioned elegy to her estranged brother after his death.

— Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Their books are therefore, in some respects, elegies to a conception of reading and writing which seems to be nearing an end.

— Louis Menand, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of elegy

Adjective

Under Sorrells, morale at the office is bleak and has resulted in an exodus, according to two veteran prosecutors who left the office and spoke on the condition they not be identified.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Yet missing from this bleak picture are the ways that Ukraine has already adapted to escalating attacks.

— Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of bleak

Noun

Cue the depressing rain, dark trench coats, and a dire dystopian dirge because the Blade Runner 2099 trailer is here!

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The film’s turning point is a tragedy during a fight arranged by Frankie, making its second half more of a dirge than a sports film.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of dirge

Adjective

The spirituality throughout is imbued with a solemn reverence more Catholic than Baptist.

— Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
This production, solemn about our obligations to one another but committed to providing a good night out at the theater, is neither.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of solemn

Adjective

Maybe the most vivid reminder was what happened after a similarly depressing defeat in 2021 in the last game in which Mahomes played and the Chiefs managed only a field goal.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
In another depressing week for the UK’s public broadcaster, there were more cuts, talk of even more cuts and programs scrapped, as the BBC’s desperate bid to make the books work continues under former Google EMEA chief Matt Brittin.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of depressing

Adjective

The ad is characteristic of the increasingly dark tone Hilton’s campaign has taken on in the home stretch.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Netanyahu's supporters see him as a steady hand and a consummate statesman who has led Israel through a war of redemption after the country's darkest hour.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of dark

Browse Nearby Words

elegantly

elegiac

elegiacs

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“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of elegiac

adjective

noun

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