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Elegy vs. Eulogy
Both elegy and eulogy may be used about writing or speech in remembrance of a person who has passed away, and this semantic overlap creates the potential for confusion. Elegy (which may be traced to the Greek word elegos, “song of mourning”) commonly refers to a song or poem lamenting one who is dead; the word may also refer somewhat figuratively to a nostalgic poem, or to a kind of musical composition. While eulogy is also commonly found referring to words about the deceased, its basic meaning, both in English and in the Greek language from which it was borrowed, is “praise.” Formed from the Greek roots eu “good” and logos “speech,” a eulogy is an encomium given for one who is either living or dead. If you are praising your partner’s unsurpassed beauty or commending the virtues of the deceased at a funeral, you are delivering a eulogy; if you are composing a lamenting reminiscence about a person who has long since passed, you are writing an elegy.
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Eulogies Aren't Only for Funerals
With its -logy ending, eulogy means literally something like "good speech". We are told to speak only good of the dead, but a eulogist actually makes a speech in the dead person's honor--or often instead for someone living, who might actually be there in the audience. The most famous eulogies include Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Pericles' funeral oration for the Athenian warriors; but these are only two of the many great eulogies, which continue to be delivered not only at funerals and memorial services but at retirement parties, anniversary parties, and birthday parties.
Synonyms
Examples of eulogy in a Sentence
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2024
Irwin’s daughter Bindi, then 8 years old, also paid tribute to her father with a touching eulogy.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024
The station then aired a one-minute video tribute to Radcliffe that included highlights of his career and a voice-over eulogy.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024
The dead include Ibrahim Aqil, a close adviser to Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and a senior commander who, in 2008, founded the élite Radwan Force, according to the group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, who delivered a eulogy at Aqil’s funeral on Sunday afternoon.
—Rania Abouzeid, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Eulogy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eulogy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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eulogy
noun
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