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lilt

Syllabification: (lilt)
Pronunciation: /lilt/
Translate lilt | into Spanish
Definition of lilt

noun

  • a characteristic rising and falling of the voice when speaking; a pleasant gentle accent:he spoke with a faint but recognizable Irish lilt
  • a pleasant, gently swinging rhythm in a song or tune:the lilt of the Hawaiian music
  • archaic, chiefly Scottish a cheerful tune.

verb

[no object] (often as adjective lilting)
  • speak, sing, or sound with a lilt:a lilting Welsh accent

Origin:

late Middle English lulte (in the senses 'sound an alarm' or 'lift up the voice'), of unknown origin

lilt in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of lilt in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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