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motif

/moʊˈtiːf/noun2 syllables

Motif means: a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration.

Synonyms for motif2

noun, as in a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

motive

noun, as in a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

motive

noun, as in a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work

theme

What does motif mean?3

noun

1

a design or figure that consists of recurring shapes or colors, as in architecture or decoration

2

a theme that is repeated or elaborated in a piece of music

3

a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary or artistic work“it was the usual ‘boy gets girl’ theme”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with motif?11

two syllables

reliefbeliefsharif

three syllables

disbelief
Show 40 near rhymes
behewemesheseethesehereneedthreebetweeneachfeelteamkeeppleasefreerealweekmeanseenbelieveleastmeansneedsleavepolicedealstreetmeetfieldseemsdeheartvweekseastreceivedeatgreen

Motif in a sentence

  • The repeated triplets are the most prominent motif in that movement of the symphony.AlanF_US
  • Flowers and geometric motifs were painted on the interior walls.maaster
  • Tudor pennons were highly decorated with slogans and heraldic motifs.mollydot
  • The girls designed and sold clothing for teens, incorporating traditional Moldovian embroidery motifs.Cangarejo
  • Birds are a common motif in Yiddish poetry and song.shekitten
  • The symbolism behind this Cistercian chapel's sculptural motifs is still not completely understood.sangelo
  • Tessellations have been used to create decorative motifs in both textiles and architecture since ancient times.Vanilla
  • She painted Berber motifs on the pottery.Amastan

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of motif

as a noun

plural
motifs