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
Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2025
The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
But another Best Picture nominee offered a more playful variation on The Wild Bunch’s elegiac spirit, the George Roy Hill–directed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws roaming an Old West that’s starting to leave them behind.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
The elegiac sweep involves the clearing away of detritus.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Adjective
Anatomy of a Transpacific Cyber Campaign by Michael Berry
Sam Needleman
‘On the Brink of Erasure’
Tacita Dean’s mesmerizing, elegiac drawing and filmmaking spring from both broad exploration and acute focus.
—Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2025
The cumulative weight of all those moments that make up an ordinary life is the subject of this elegiac macro-miniaturist portrait of an itinerant worker in the early 1900s Pacific Northwest, played by Joel Edgerton in what might be the best work of his career.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
But another Best Picture nominee offered a more playful variation on The Wild Bunch’s elegiac spirit, the George Roy Hill–directed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws roaming an Old West that’s starting to leave them behind.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
The elegiac sweep involves the clearing away of detritus.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac
Adjective
-
All that matters is whether Dance Mom, a character designed in a lab to be a depressing punchline, pulls in just enough of the always-online demo to boost their numbers among younger viewers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
-
Music was a way to showcase something that wasn’t depressing.—
Ramin Setoodeh,
Variety,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
The investigation specifically focused on 1,422 fathers who were screened for depressive symptoms when their children were five years old, Schmitz told Newsweek.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 May 2025
-
For every past depressive episode, the likelihood of having another one goes up.—
Carolyn L. Todd,
SELF,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
The Stalemate is part wacky buddy comedy, part poignant Western elegy – and just straight up a ton of fun.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2025
-
It’s remained in the company’s repertoire for decades, and the use of Coltrane’s elegy for the love of her life has made that music into two dirges, one for husband John Coltrane and another for the woman on the invisible mourner’s bench honoring and channeling him for the rest of her days.—
Harmony Holiday,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s also the morbid curiosity about Brian’s death.—
Tyler Hicks,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
-
In 1900, the average life expectancy of a 1-year-old in the U.S. was about 56 years; that bespeaks a morbid population of infants.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
But when the movie started, the mood turned funereal.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
-
The former president was seen taking a photo with another mourner; his wife, like first lady Melania Trump — in attendance with President Trump — wore a funereal veil.—
Adam Carlson,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Though it was written around the time of Malibu’s Woolsey fire, the 14-minute long dirge that encompasses flames in Malibu and a cougar that roams the hills took on a new and sinister meaning in the aftermath of the more recent fires.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
-
It’s remained in the company’s repertoire for decades, and the use of Coltrane’s elegy for the love of her life has made that music into two dirges, one for husband John Coltrane and another for the woman on the invisible mourner’s bench honoring and channeling him for the rest of her days.—
Harmony Holiday,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
With nail trends being so chill over the last year or two—who knew nude nails would be so hot for so long?—those of us who were once confident DIYing our nail art may feel a bit out of practice these days.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
3 June 2025
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Compared to the other breakups in the house, Ciara and West are almost chill.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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