# lied

/ˈɫaɪd/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lied
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. German art song

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

a type of German song for a singer and a piano, usually part of classical music.

For teachers: a German-language art song from the Romantic period, typically composed for solo voice with piano accompaniment.

- The singer performed a beautiful lied by Schubert during the concert.
- The recital featured a selection of nineteenth-century Lieder, demonstrating the intricate relationship between the poetic text and the piano accompaniment.

Usage: The plural form is 'Lieder'.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialised term; outside of classical music contexts, students will almost exclusively encounter 'lied' as the past tense of the verb 'lie'.

## Examples

- The singer performed a beautiful lied by Schubert.
- During the recital, the soprano chose a lied that perfectly captured the melancholy of the original German poem.
- The development of the nineteenth-century lied transformed the piano from a mere harmonic support into an equal partner in the musical storytelling, as seen in the works of Schumann and Brahms.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.