dirge Definition
- 1a slow, sad song or piece of music that is played at a funeral
- 2a mournful poem or other literary work
- 3a mournful sound or utterance
Using dirge: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "dirge" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The church bells tolled a dirge for the departed soul.
Example
The poet composed a dirge to mourn the death of his friend.
Example
The howling wind outside sounded like a dirge.
dirge Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with dirge
Example
By refusing to listen to advice, he was singing his own dirge.
dirge-like
having the qualities of a dirge; mournful, sad, or melancholic
Example
The slow and dirge-like melody of the song made everyone feel sad.
dirgeful
full of or expressing grief or mourning
Example
The dirgeful tone of the poem captured the sorrow of losing a loved one.
Origins of dirge
from Middle English 'dirige', from Latin 'dirige', meaning 'direct (thou)', the first word of a medieval Latin antiphon sung in the Office of the Dead
Summary: dirge in Brief
A 'dirge' [dɜːdʒ] is a slow, mournful song or piece of music played at funerals or a mournful poem or literary work. It can also refer to a mournful sound or utterance. Examples include 'The church bells tolled a dirge for the departed soul.' and 'The howling wind outside sounded like a dirge.' The phrase 'sing one's own dirge' means to do something that will lead to one's own downfall or ruin.
