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singing

singing

13 4.1
Having a smooth, flowing sound or line
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/
translation icon : melodioso
  • The singing of the birds made the morning feel peaceful and joyful.

It's got three parts, the dreaming city while the gods laugh and the singing citadel.

Examples

  • This is the singing cactus, all right?

  • I always was gravitated toward those, those players that had that singing quality.

  • It's got three parts, the dreaming city while the gods laugh and the singing citadel.

  • Our first night in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, we went to a private screening of filmmaker Quang's newest production, The Singing River.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Her singing voice was so smooth that everyone stopped to listen.

  • He played the guitar softly, accompanied by the singing of the nearby stream.

Synonyms

musical
vssinging
63 1.7

Having a pleasing sound like a song

restricts the idea to smooth, flowing melodic character rather than general musiciness
melodious
vssinging
7 4.0

Has a pleasant, musical sound

stresses continuous smooth flow of tone rather than just pleasant melody
mellifluous
vssinging
  • Formal
4 8.5

A smooth, sweet sound that is pleasant to hear

is about smooth, flowing melodic character rather than general pleasingness
euphonious
vssinging
1 8.3

A pleasant, smooth sound like music or speech that is nice to listen to

narrows this to smooth, flowing melodic quality rather than broad harmony
tuneful
vssinging
1 3.2

A sound like a nice song that is pleasant to hear

adds that the tune should be smooth and flowing in character
songy
vssinging
1 6.8

Having a clear tune and pleasant musical rhythm

is specifically about smooth, flowing melodic character rather than songlike traits
lyric
vssinging
  • Specialized
1 6.6

A light gentle singing voice suitable for opera

is about smooth flowing melodic character rather than a performance style
cantabile
vssinging
  • Specialized
9.9

A smooth, flowing way of playing or singing that sounds like a song

emphasizes melodic flow as a general sound quality rather than a musical direction
canorous
vssinging
  • Literature
9.9

Being rich and pleasant in sound like a singing voice

focuses more on smooth flowing character than on fullness or richness
mellisonant
vssinging
  • Formal
9.9

A pleasant, sweet sound that is nice to hear

highlights smooth flowing melody specifically rather than general sweetness
songful
vssinging
  • Literature
6.1

A sound that is clear and pleasant like someone singing

places more weight on smooth flowing tone rather than mere melodic fullness
songlike
vssinging
5.3

Having a clear tune like someone singing

focuses on smooth, flowing tone across sounds rather than resemblance to songs
fluted
vssinging
5.6

A clear, pleasant sound like a flute

is about general smooth, flowing melody rather than a specific instrument quality

Antonyms

47 3.9

Very strong and unpleasant to the senses, like bright light or bitter taste

9 7.4

Not fitting together and often clashing in sound or opinion

Compounds

14 3.1

The sound a person makes when making musical notes with their voice

Singing without any instruments, using only voices

Vocal music from Black church services with strong feeling and call and response

1 3.2

A style of music where people perform traditional songs from a community

scat singing
  • Specialized
1 8.5

Singing with made-up sounds to make new jazz melodies like an instrument

A smooth, flowing way of singing that sounds gentle and connected

part-singing
  • Specialized
6.0

Three or more voices sing different parts together to make harmony

How Melodious

lyrical
31 4.9
melodious
7 4.0
singing
13 4.1
clear
40 1.0
harsh
47 3.9

Surface Forms

singing positive

Morphology

singing = sing (semi-transparent) = sing + ing

While 'singing' as an adjective retains the musical connotation, its application to non-musical contexts like 'tone' is metaphorical.

Etymology

Singing as an adjective comes from the verb sing meaning 'to sing' and is used like a picture: something described as 'singing' sounds smooth and musical, so a 'singing' line or tone flows like a little song.