musical 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmyü-zi-kəl How to pronounce musical (audio)
Definition of musicalnext
1
as in melodic
having a pleasantly flowing quality suggestive of music the musical sounds of the babbling brook

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in symphonic
having a pleasing mixture of notes the song of the skylark has been celebrated for being especially musical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

musical

2 of 2

noun

as in comedy

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of musical
Adjective
This project has morphed into something that is a musical/concert performance piece. — Peter White, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 For the most part, her sweeping narrative alternates in four movements between John, born into a musical family in Dublin, and Adelaide, who was orphaned soon after her birth in Pondicherry, French India, and brought up by her imperious grandmother. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
The Broadway musical recouped its $17 million capitalization in 2024 (and the tour recouped in 2025), and has since grossed more than $175 million. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026 The upcoming musical is based on the cult classic 1999 romcom of the same name, which takes Shakespeare’s famous play The Taming of the Shrew and drops its characters straight into a California high school. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for musical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musical
  1. melodic
  2. symphonic
  3. comedy
  4. lyrical
  5. melodrama
  6. lyric
  7. tragicomedy
  8. musical comedy
Adjective
  • Your music can be melodic, painful, street and vulnerable all at once.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
  • As the scene unfolds, however, the music begins to empty out, giving way to darker, lower melodic textures.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of melodic
Adjective
  • The intercutting makes both thematic and artistic sense, as the director’s use of counterpoint gives the film a symphonic grandeur.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Their at-times symphonic sound included violin and flute, and Surkamp’s high voice put them in a similar category as Yes.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of symphonic
Noun
  • Okay, so Holmes and Evans are definitively not classic-comedy fans.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Japanese creator Issei, whose dialogue-free comedy has drawn audiences worldwide, has upward of 75 million YouTube subscribers.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of comedy
Adjective
  • Lyubka’s compelling storytelling technique is detailed, lyrical, at times, humorous, and therefore deeply penetrating.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Nothing has an immersive and even philosophical or lyrical quality, and that is by design.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of lyrical
Noun
  • That familiarity has certainly worked in the movie’s favor among some viewers, particularly those invested in its maximalist approach to both familial melodrama and semi-surreal scares.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The melodrama stars a roster of some of Brazil’s biggest screen stars, including Chay Suede, Letícia Colin, Tony Ramos and Antônio Fagundes.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of melodrama
Adjective
  • The protagonist, Mi-ja, is an older woman who starts to write lyric poetry.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • And so lyric arrives, unbridled by the laws of grammar, pressing its hooves to the measure of music.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • In Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy, two men wait beside a barren tree for someone called Godot who never arrives.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Schweiger is a German actor and filmmaker who debuted in the tragicomedy Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997).
    — Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tragicomedy
Noun
  • The musical comedy also stars Halle Bailey, Eisenberg and Bernadette Peters, with music and lyrics by Eisenberg.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Laura Benanti, one of today’s musical comedy all-stars, understands that human fallibility is at the root of genuine hilarity.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of musical comedy

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mushy
musical
musical comedies
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Cite this Entry

“Musical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musical. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on musical

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about musical

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