dithyrambic
/'diθi'ræmbik/
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Definition
- Adjective:
- Of or relating to a dithyramb: Pertaining to a wild, passionate, and irregular choral hymn or chant in ancient Greece, originally in honor of the god Dionysus.
- In the manner of a dithyramb: Characterized by or resembling the extravagant, enthusiastic, or rapturous style of a dithyramb.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The poet's dithyrambic verses celebrated the god of wine and ecstasy.
- His speech was not a calm argument but a dithyrambic outpouring of praise for the leader.
- The critic described the music as having a dithyrambic intensity that overwhelmed the listener.
Advanced Usage
- Literary/Artistic Criticism: Used to describe works of art, poetry, or music that are ecstatic, unrestrained, and emotionally charged.
- The composer's later works moved from classical structure to a more dithyrambic form.
- Descriptive of Language or Behavior: Can describe speech or writing that is excessively fervent or rhapsodic.
- Her dithyrambic tribute to the sunset left her friends both moved and slightly embarrassed.
Variants and Related Words
- Dithyramb (noun): The wild choral hymn of ancient Greece, or any impassioned poetic composition or speech.
- The ancient festival featured competitions in composing and performing a dithyramb.
- Dithyrambically (adverb): In a dithyrambic manner.
- He sang dithyrambically about the beauty of the natural world.
Synonyms
- Rhapsodic: Characterized by an expression of intense, enthusiastic feeling.
- Ecstatic: Overwhelmingly emotional; rapturous.
- Bacchic: Relating to the festivities of Bacchus (Dionysus), characterized by revelry and excess. (More specific to the Dionysian context.)
Antonyms
- Measured: Careful and restrained.
- Sober: Serious, sensible, and solemn.
- Prosaic: Commonplace or unimaginative in style.
Related Phrases and Idioms
(Note: As a specialized literary term, "dithyrambic" itself is not commonly used in phrasal verbs or idioms. Its usage is primarily as a descriptive adjective.) - In a dithyrambic vein/style: Writing or speaking in an extravagantly enthusiastic manner. - The essay, written in a dithyrambic vein, was more a celebration than a critique.
Adjective
- of or in the manner of a dithyramb