canorous
adjective
Did you know?
In Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821), the author Thomas de Quincey describes a manservant who, after accidentally letting a loaded trunk fall down a flight of stairs, "sang out a long, loud, and canorous peal of laughter." Canorous typically describes things, such as church choirs or birds in the spring, that are a pleasure to listen to. It derives from the Latin verb canere ("to sing"), a root it shares with a number of words that evoke what is sweet to the ear, such as chant, canticle ("a song"), cantor ("a leader of a choir"), carmen ("a song, poem, or incantation"), and even accent.
Synonyms
- euphonic
- euphonious
- harmonious
- harmonizing
- melodious
- musical
- symphonic
- symphonious
- tuneful
Example Sentences
Word History
Latin canorus, from canor melody, from canere to sing — more at chant
1646, in the meaning defined above
canorous
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- symphonic
- musical
- melodic
- melodious
- harmonizing
- rhythmic
- tuneful
- symphonious
- flowing
- orchestral
- euphonic
- lyric
- lyrical
- harmonious
- sweet
- euphonious
- rhythmical
- echoing
- blending
- appealing
- pleasant
- songful
- resonant
- polyphonous
- mellifluous
- chiming
- sonorous
- harmonic
- mellifluent
- dulcet
- warbling
- mellow
- trilling
- quavering
- polyphonic
- songlike
- homophonic
- tonal
- agreeable
- cadenced
- lilting
- chordal
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- metallic
- unmelodious
- dissonant
- disharmonious
- unmusical
- discordant
- inharmonious
- raucous
- harsh
- tuneless
- scratching
- shrill
- unpleasant
- strident
- jarring
- clashing
- squeaky
- disagreeable
- grating
- raspy
- screeching
- clanging
- blaring
- jangling
- clattering
- unpleasing
- atonal
- off-key