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Elegy: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Elegy noun. A poem or song of serious reflection, especially a lament for someone who has died.
How to say it
EL-ih-jee/ˈɛlɪdʒi/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (EL). Forms: elegies, elegiac.
Elegy in a sentence
Gray's elegy in a country churchyard is still read at funerals.
Her novel is an elegy for the seaside towns of her childhood.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- lament
- dirge
- requiem
- threnody
Where elegy comes from
From Greek elegos, a mournful song.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Her novel is an _____ for the seaside towns of her childhood.
- elegy
- verisimilitude
- plagiarism
Show the answer
elegy: Her novel is an elegy for the seaside towns of her childhood.