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unlyrical

unlyrical

7.9
A style in writing or music that feels plain and without emotion
  • adjective
  • /ʌnˈlɪrɪkəl/
translation icon : no lírico
  • Though informative, the article's tone was unlyrical and failed to engage the readers.

Examples

  • The speech was well-structured but ultimately unlyrical, lacking any emotional appeal.

  • Such knowledge, such awareness, is carelessly unlyrical, all in all.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The best-planned, best-hit ball often just blew out of bounds; that was the basic unlyrical problem.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • His unlyrical performance left the audience feeling disconnected from the intended message.

Synonyms

unpoetic
vsunlyrical
1 6.1

Not beautiful or creative in a way that moves people

adds absence of musical tone and emotional lyricism to that lack
unmusical
vsunlyrical
1 6.0

Having a harsh sound that is not pleasant to hear

places more emphasis on lacking poetic feeling and expressive lyricism
nonpoetic
vsunlyrical
6.0

Plain, direct language that uses facts not images or feelings

is broader and also lacks musical and expressive qualities
unpoetical
vsunlyrical
7.0

Not showing beauty, imagination, or strong feeling

stresses lack of feeling and musical quality as well
untuneful
vsunlyrical
5.7

Not making a pleasant tune

also lacks poetic emotion and lyrical expressiveness beyond mere tune
unmelodic
vsunlyrical
6.5

A voice or music that is not pleasant to hear

adds absence of expressive feeling and poetic lyricism to that lack
unmelodious
vsunlyrical
8.0

Not having a pleasant, musical sound

focuses instead on missing emotion and poetic expressiveness rather than tone
nonmusical
vsunlyrical
4.2

A person who is not interested in or good at music

describes lacking musical or poetic expressive quality rather than personal ability

Antonyms

41 3.4

Showing feelings and ideas clearly in the face or voice

31 4.9

Expressing deep personal feeling like a song

How Lyrical

lyrical
31 4.9
poetic
  • Literature
107 4.5
unlyrical
7.9
prosaic
8 7.9

Surface Forms

unlyrical positive
unlyricaler comparative
unlyricalest superlative

Morphology

unlyrical = lyrical (transparent) = un + lyric + al

The adjective 'lyrical' with the negating prefix 'un-' yields the straightforward opposite meaning.

Etymology

Unlyrical joins un- meaning 'not' with lyric, from lyre, an old small harp used to play songs and poems and the same root as lyrics, the 'words of a song'. So unlyrical means 'not musical or poetic'.