poet

noun

po·​et ˈpō-ət 

-it

also ˈpȯ(-)it

1

: one who writes poetry : a maker of verses

2

: one (such as a creative artist) of great imaginative and expressive capabilities and special sensitivity to the medium

Synonyms of poet

• minstrel
• muse
• bard

Examples of poet in a Sentence

Emily Dickinson is famous as the poet who rarely left the house but often journeyed to the depths of the human heart.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 1936, Federico García Lorca, the Spanish poet and playwright, was working on a new play, La Bola Negra, which was never completed. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 13 Nov. 2026

Reginald Dwayne Betts, a panelist and poet who served eight years for a carjacking at 16, agreed with Rizzo. — ABC News, 13 Nov. 2026

Pritam, who wrote primarily in Punjabi and Hindi, is remembered as the first eminent female Punjabi poet, novelist, short-story writer, and essayist. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2026

The German-French sculptor, painter, and poet Jean Arp, also known as Hans Arp, lived from 1886 to 1966, and was a major figure of the Dada and Surrealism movements. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French poete, from Latin poeta, from Greek poiētēs maker, poet, from poiein to make; akin to Sanskrit cinoti he gathers, heaps up

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing poet

• poet laureate

Kids Definition

poet

noun

po·​et ˈpō-ət 

-it

: a person who writes poetry