Meaning & use

dirge

noun·Academic

A slow, mournful song or poem expressing grief, traditionally performed at a funeral.

See it in a sentence

The choir sang a somber dirge as the coffin was carried out of the church.

The composer's final symphony ends with a quiet dirge for the fallen soldiers.

A note on using this word

Dirge is sometimes used loosely and negatively to describe any slow, gloomy piece of music, even outside a funeral context.

Words with a similar meaning

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