musical
gb/mjˈuzɪkəl/ us/mjˈuzɪkəl/
A2
English
~ 2800
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
related to music
About or connected with music.
Usage pattern:
[something] is musical
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'musical' (adjective) with 'music' (noun). For example, 'I like musical' instead of 'I like music'.
Synonyms
melodic (Emphasizes a pleasing sequence of notes, often focusing on melody.)
|
harmonic (Focuses more on harmony in music rather than music in general.)
Antonyms
nonmusical (Describes something unrelated to or lacking qualities of music.)
Collocations
musical instrument
|musical performance
|musical talent
|musical style
|musical background
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She has a very musical voice that is pleasant to listen to.
- The festival will feature a variety of musical acts.
- He grew up in a very musical family.
Learner examples
- My sister plays many musical instruments.
- He likes many musical styles.
- This is a musical show.
Noun
A2
entity
2
stage play with songs
A show or movie that tells a story with songs and dance.
Usage pattern:
to watch [a/the] musical
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'musical' as an adjective when they mean the noun. For example, 'I saw a musical movie' when they mean 'I saw a musical'.
Synonyms
musical theatre (Refers specifically to the stage art form combining songs, spoken dialogue, and dance.)
Antonyms
straight play (A play without songs or dance numbers.)
Collocations
Broadway musical
|hit musical
|school musical
|musical production
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We saw a fantastic musical on Broadway last night.
- Her dream is to perform in a West End musical.
- The school is putting on a musical this spring.
Learner examples
- I saw a musical yesterday.
- My friend is in a school musical.
- They like to watch musicals.
adjective
B1
property
3
talented in music
Able to understand or make music well.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is musical
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'musical' in this sense with 'musician', which refers specifically to a person who plays music professionally or regularly.
Synonyms
tuneful (Often refers to producing pleasant sounds, but can imply natural skill.)
|
gifted (More general; can apply to talents beyond music.)
Antonyms
tone-deaf (Lacking the ability to perceive differences in pitch accurately.)
Collocations
musical talent
|musical ability
|musical genius
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He's extremely musical and can pick up any instrument quickly.
- The twins are both very musical, just like their parents.
- She was recognized as a musical prodigy at a young age.
Learner examples
- My brother is very musical.
- She is musical and can sing well.
- They are a musical family.
Grammar
Dictionary form
musical
IPA
GB/mjˈuzɪkəl/
US/mjˈuzɪkəl/
Syllables & stress
mu - sic - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mu)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: musical
Noun
- Base: musical
- Plural: musicals
Word family
Expressions
play second fiddle
1/plˈeɪ sˈɛkənd fˈɪdəl/
idiom
be in less important role
To be in a less important position than someone else.
Examples
- She was tired of playing second fiddle to her older sister.
- In this project, I had to play second fiddle to the lead designer.
face the music
1/fˈeɪs ðə mjˈuzɪk/
idiom
informal
accept consequences for actions
To accept and deal with something bad that you have caused or that will happen.
Examples
- After lying to his boss, he had to face the music.
- She broke the rules and now she must face the music.
face the music
2/fˈeɪs ðə mjˈuzɪk/
idiom
accept unpleasant consequences
To accept the bad results of something you did.
Examples
- He knew he had to face the music after breaking the rules.
- It's time to face the music and admit your mistake.
musical chairs
1/mjˈuzɪkəl t͡ʃˈɛɹz/
idiom
game with fewer chairs than players
A game where people walk around chairs while music plays, then try to sit when it stops, but there are not enough chairs for everyone.
Examples
- The kids played musical chairs at the birthday party.
- Organizing the seating felt like a game of musical chairs.
musical chairs
2/mjˈuzɪkəl t͡ʃˈɛɹz/
idiom
Game or frequent job changes
A game where you walk around chairs and sit when music stops; also means jobs or roles change often.
Examples
- We played musical chairs at the party.
- There’s been musical chairs in management lately.