musical

musical — adjective

1. relating to any aspect of music, such as instruments, performance, training, or

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

relating to any aspect of music, such as instruments, performance, training, or composition — for example, a musical instrument, a musical career, or a musical festival.

Example

The Watanabe children take musical lessons every Saturday morning.

attributive: musical + noun (lessons)

Obi's grandmother gave him an old musical box that plays a soft tune.

Common collocations
  • musical instrument
  • musical career
  • musical performance
  • musical training
  • musical festival
  • musical piece
  • musical score
  • musical style
  • musical tastes
Synonyms
  • instrumental

    narrower — only refers to instruments, not singing or composition

  • melodic

    focuses on the quality of having a pleasant tune, not the broader connection to music

  • harmonic

    technical; relates to the combination of notes, not general musical connection

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

musical + noun

Usage Note

Only sense that functions attributively before a noun (a musical instrument, a musical career). When used predicatively (Her voice is musical) the meaning shifts toward sense 3.

Common Mistakes

I bought a musical at the instrument shop.
I bought a musical instrument at the shop.
'musical' as a noun means a stage show, not a thing related to music.
She has a very musical voice' (when you mean she can sing well).
She has a very musical voice
it is pleasant to hear.' — describing a voice as musical refers to its pleasant quality (sense 3), not musical skill.

2. having a natural ability to play, sing, or understand music, or a strong liking

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

having a natural ability to play, sing, or understand music, or a strong liking for music — for example, a child who quickly learns to play the piano by ear and enjoys performing.

Example

From a young age, Valentina was musical and could sing before she could talk.

predicative: was + musical (describing a person)

The choir teacher said that Daichi is the most musical student she has ever taught.

superlative: the most musical

Common collocations
  • musical family
  • musical child
  • musical talent
  • very musical
  • deeply musical
  • naturally musical
Synonyms
  • talented

    broader — can refer to any skill, not just music

  • gifted

    stronger — suggests a rare, inborn talent

  • melodic

    misleading — melodic describes sound quality, not a person's skill

Antonyms
  • tone-deaf

    unable to distinguish or produce musical notes accurately

  • unmusical

    lacking skill or interest in music

Grammar Patterns

be + musical

seem + musical

very + musical

Usage Note

Describes a person's natural or cultivated quality, not a temporary state. Frequently used with be, seem, or become. The subject must be a person or a group of people (a musical family).

Common Mistakes

He is very musical, but he has never played an instrument.
He is very musical
he plays the guitar and sings well.' — calling someone musical implies they have noticeable musical skill, not just an interest.
This piano is very musical.
This piano has a lovely tone.
'musical' in this sense describes a person's ability, not an object's quality.

3. having a soft, pleasing sound that is enjoyable to hear, similar to music — for

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a soft, pleasing sound that is enjoyable to hear, similar to music — for example, a voice with a smooth flow, a gentle laugh, or the sound of wind chimes.

Example

The old clock had a musical chime that rang gently every hour.

attributive: musical + noun (chime)

Gabriel spoke in a low, musical voice that made everyone stop to listen.

Common collocations
  • musical voice
  • musical sound
  • musical laugh
  • musical chime
  • musical tone
Synonyms
  • melodious

    closest synonym; specifically describes a pleasant series of notes

  • harmonious

    emphasises that sounds combine well together

  • lyrical

    suggests a flowing, song-like quality, often used for voices

  • sweet-sounding

    more informal; describes a simple, gentle pleasantness

Antonyms
  • harsh

    rough and unpleasant to hear

  • discordant

    lacking harmony; clashing in sound

Grammar Patterns

musical + noun (sound, voice, laugh)

be + musical

Usage Note

Typically describes sounds made by nature, objects, or voices — not usually applied to music itself (a song is melodic, not musical in this sense). Distinguish from sense 2: describes the quality of a sound, not a person's ability.

Common Mistakes

The song was very musical.
The song was very melodic.
'musical' as a sound quality descriptor is more natural for voices or natural sounds, not for compositions.
He has a musical voice' (when you mean he sings well).
He has a musical voice
it is deep and pleasant to hear.' — 'musical voice' describes tone quality, not singing skill.

musical — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words relate to music, but they name different aspects. 'Musical' (the broadest) covers anything connected with music in general — instruments, performances, training, composition. 'Instrumental' narrows the focus to instruments alone, excluding singing or vocal music ('an instrumental version of the song has no words'). 'Melodic' refers specifically to having a pleasant, recognisable tune ('the melodic theme of the film stayed in my head'). 'Harmonic' is the most technical — it relates to the combination of notes played together and is common in music theory contexts ('harmonic progression'). For everyday use, 'musical' is the safest choice; use 'melodic' when you want to emphasise tunefulness, and 'instrumental' when singers are absent. Example: 'The musical festival featured both instrumental performances and melodic vocal pieces, with a focus on harmonic richness.'

musical ↗instrumental ↗melodicharmonic

Common collocations

Nouns

  • musical ability
  • musical experience
  • musical training
  • musical taste

Adverbs

  • highly musical
  • deeply musical
  • distinctly musical
  • purely musical

Phrases

  • musical by nature
  • musical in style

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'musical' comes from the Latin 'musica' (the art of music), which the Romans borrowed from the Greek 'mousikē' (art of the Muses — the nine goddesses who presided over arts and sciences). The suffix '-al' was added in Latin ('musicalis') to mean 'relating to music'. English adopted it through Old French 'musical' in the 1400s. The noun sense (a stage show with songs) emerged much later, around the 1940s, as a shortening of 'musical comedy'