songless
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking the ability or tendency to sing: "songless" describes a creature, especially a bird, that does not produce song or vocal music.
- Silent or mute in a musical sense: Used more broadly to indicate an absence of song-like sounds or melodious expression.
Usage Examples
- (The bird did not sing.)
- (No birds or other creatures were making musical sounds.)
- (He had no inclination to produce musical sounds.)
Advanced Usage
"songless bird": a bird that does not sing, such as some species of raptors or waterfowl.
- The hawk is a songless bird of prey. (It does not produce melodious calls.)
"songless season": a period when birds are not singing, typically winter or during molting.
- The songless season of autumn leaves the landscape quiet. (A time when bird song is absent.)
Variants and Related Words
Song (n): a short poem or set of words set to music or meant to be sung.
- She wrote a beautiful song for the choir. (A musical composition with lyrics.)
Songful (adj): full of song; melodious.
- The songful thrush delighted the listeners. (The bird sang abundantly.)
Songbird (n): a bird that produces a characteristic song, especially one of the suborder Passeri.
- The nightingale is a famous songbird. (A bird known for its beautiful singing.)
Synonyms
- Silent: not making or accompanied by sound.
- Mute: refraining from speech or vocal sound.
- Unsung: not sung or celebrated in song.
Antonyms
- Songful: full of song.
- Melodious: having a pleasant tune.
- Vocal: relating to or produced by the voice.
Related Idioms
"Sing a different tune": to change one's opinion or attitude.
- After losing the game, he sang a different tune about his team's skill. (He changed his view.)
"For a song": for a very low price.
- She bought the old guitar for a song. (Very cheaply.)
Note: "Songless" is a relatively rare word, most commonly used in poetic or descriptive contexts to emphasize the absence of bird song or musical expression.