What does "elegiac" mean?
A poem composed in the couplet style of classical elegies: a line of dactylic hexameter followed by a line of dactylic pentameter.
Elegiac
/ˌɛləˈd͡ʒaɪək/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A poem composed in the couplet style of classical elegies: a line of dactylic hexameter followed by a line of dactylic pentameter.
- Grammar: elegiac is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: accent, alcaic, anacreontic, anapest.
- Useful contrasts: bright, cheerful, joyful.
- Usage evidence: Tom wrote an elegiac couplet in Latin about Mary.
How to use "elegiac"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "elegiac" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "elegiac" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "elegiac" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "elegiac" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A poem composed in the couplet style of classical elegies: a line of dactylic hexameter followed by a line of dactylic pentameter.
"His saphics are worse, if possible, than his elegiacs"
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to an elegy.
"the elegiac distich or couplet, consisting of a dactylic hexameter and pentameter"
- 2 Expressing sorrow or mourning.
"Hast thou no elegiac verse / For Brunswick's venerable hearse, / What! not a line, a tear, a sigh, / When valour bleeds for liberty?"
Adjective
- 1 expressing sorrow often for something past wordnet
- 2 resembling or characteristic of or appropriate to an elegy wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Tom wrote an elegiac couplet in Latin about Mary."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "elegiac"?
Common synonyms include: accent, alcaic, anacreontic, anapest, bardic, beat.
How do you use "elegiac" in a sentence?
Tom wrote an elegiac couplet in Latin about Mary.
How do you pronounce "elegiac"?
Pronounced /ˌɛləˈd͡ʒaɪək/.
Etymology
From Middle French élégiaque, from Latin elegīacus, from Ancient Greek ἐλεγειακός (elegeiakós).