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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elegiac
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
The exhibit’s name and its graphic treatment are themselves an elegiac ode to Heaven, the avant-garde novelty boutique at the Century City Mall that held serious sway in the ’80s with the likes of Brooke Shields, Paul Reubens and Freddie Mercury.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Adjective
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
The exhibit’s name and its graphic treatment are themselves an elegiac ode to Heaven, the avant-garde novelty boutique at the Century City Mall that held serious sway in the ’80s with the likes of Brooke Shields, Paul Reubens and Freddie Mercury.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elegiac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegiac
Adjective
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The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
-
Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
-
The marketing was clever (complete with morbid 3D billboards), and this series has built-in nostalgic value.—
Ryan Faughnder,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
-
The morbid series first began in 2000 and follows groups of people getting Rube Goldberg machine’d to death by unforeseen domino effects — a timeless concept if there ever was one.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
17 May 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
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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
Adjective
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But when the movie started, the mood turned funereal.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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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
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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
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This episode begins with a relatively chill vibe as Dina’s two love interests go riding out into the snowy wilderness, busting each other’s chops.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
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Though their everyday hangouts are chill, Beckham loves to roll out the red carpet for Milo on special occasions.—
Michelle Lee,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elegiac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegiac. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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